Iordanca-Rodica Iordanov
According to the former Minister of Environment and the national head of the Green Agenda project Iordanca-Rodica Iordanov, when joining the EU, Moldova will have to decide “what to do with the left bank of the Dniester”.
“The issue is from the point of view of ecology, not economics. During European integration we have to decide what we do with the left bank – whether we enter with the left bank or without it. In terms of ecology, especially in terms of water, air and the system of documents – authorization, it will be quite difficult,” Iordanov said on Realitatea TV.
The former minister added that a transition period is possible for some businesses, as practiced in other countries when they joined the EU.
“The states that joined the EU and had large enterprises required derogations for these enterprises – a transition period. We, too, will be able to require a certain transition period for certain enterprises that are not yet ready by 2028. That we will be able to do. But the question is: we need to understand for which enterprises we can do this and what we are doing with the enterprises on the left bank.”
At the same time, Iordanov emphasized that if agreements on the left-bank enterprises are not reached, the state will be obliged to close them and fully restore the environment.
“And if we cannot reach an agreement in the process of negotiations on these enterprises, then at the time of joining the European Union we will be given some more time – a year, two, three. Then we will be forced to close them. But closure means that the state has to ensure the quality of soil, water and air at the time of closure. It’s a very difficult process. And it will not be possible to just mothball as it is – we have to restore the state at the level of soil quality, water quality and everything else,” concluded Iordanca-Rodica Iordanov.
