European Parliament Reports on Moldova: There Are Reforms That Are Not Ready

A report on the EU-Moldova Association Agreement implementation was presented by the Romanian MEP Dragos Tudorache during the European Parliament meeting on Monday, October 19. According to the MEP, who is the rapporteur on Moldova, our country is behind on fulfilling some of the obligations stipulated by the agreement, cotidianul.md reports. In a speech delivered at the plenary session of the European Legislative Assembly, Dragos Tudorache said: “The Association Agreement between the EU and the Republic of Moldova is not just a list of reforms and a financial portfolio, it is common values. We are partners and have committed ourselves to each other, and the main value is the rule of law. We always tell our member states that this is where the foundation of democracy begins and we always remind our partners from Moldova that the rule of law is necessary to achieve the common goal that we have all set, namely – the European integration.” The MEP noted that Moldova has implemented a number of reforms over the past year, despite frequent political instability, and managed to achieve certain conditions for the second tranche of macro-financial assistance. At the same time, Tudorache stressed that Moldova has arrears in fulfilling obligations stipulated by the association agreement. “There are reforms that are not ready. There is either no political will or a lack of administrative capacity. It is necessary to strengthen democratic mechanisms, more active participation of civil society is necessary and, above all, the independence of the judiciary is needed without any suspicion of political bias,” said the MEP. In this regard, a senior official announced the need for a complete reform of the Supreme Council of Magistracy (SCM) and the stability of the financial system. “The European Parliament will follow these reforms closely, because they are important for Moldova and its citizens,” Tudorache said. “Europe has been and will remain home. This is already the case for many Moldovans who move freely but are currently affected by the restrictions caused by the pandemic, for those who work in all corners of Europe or accompany their families. The leaders of Moldova, whoever they are, owe to their citizens, people should come to the country more often than they leave, and the reforms that we, the EU and its institutions, demand from the authorities, are there for the citizens of Moldova to build a society with a functional, healthy and prosperous democracy,” MEP Dragos Tudorache concluded his speech.