News about European integration

Moldovan Ambassador to NATO Viorel Cibotaru says that the development of the country’s active presence in the European space is impossible without intensive cooperation with the North Atlantic Alliance.

Albania’s Prime Minister Edi Rama said that joining the European Union is the “only way” for the country and that Tirana has “no plan B and no alternative” to European integration.

The real decentralization of local authorities should imply a real transfer of financial resources to local public administration bodies. This is the opinion of the Deputy Speaker of the Parliament Vlad Batrynca.

The Congress of Local Authorities of Moldova (CALM) asked representatives of the European Committee of the Regions to mediate the organization’s dialogue with the government. Its members pointed out alarming signs of deterioration in the situation of local democracy.

Moldovan Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Mihai Popşoi, who is a Romanian citizen, supports unification with this country and is ready to vote for it if a referendum is held. He made this statement on air on the Vocea Basarabiei radio station.

“The opinion that European funds are the only way of development is erroneous,” said Iasi municipality mayor Mihai Chirica, noting that an “outstretched hand” mentality blocks one’s own economic development. He urged the local authorities of Moldova and Ukraine to prioritize the development of internal “engines” of the economy.

Yesterday, the World Bank Board of Directors approved a Growth and Sustainability Policy Loan (DPL) to Moldova. The credit line is intended to strengthen competitiveness, job creation, market efficiency and transparency, and economic integration with the European Union (EU).

France and Germany have proposed a new plan aimed at bringing the Western Balkan states and the Republic of Moldova closer to the European Union in an attempt to give a “new dynamic” to the enlargement process of the European Community bloc.

At the EU-Moldova Investment Conference in Chisinau, four concrete investment projects were presented, totaling 364 million euros out of the announced one million euros.

The EU-Moldova Investment Conference, held today in Chisinau, announced the attraction of investments totaling more than 1 billion euros to boost the country’s strategic development and strengthen its European course.

The Cypriot Chairmanship started preparations for the official opening of the 1st cluster of negotiations on the accession of Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova to the EU.

Ukrainian parliamentarians have expressed “categorical opposition to the separation of the European integration paths” of Moldova and Ukraine. This was said at a meeting between the deputy chairman of the Commission for European Affairs of the Romanian Chamber of Deputies, Ovidiu-Vasile Cimpian, and a delegation of the Commission for Foreign Affairs and Interparliamentary Cooperation of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, headed by its chairman, Oleksandr Merezhko.

Patients in several European countries are facing unprecedented waiting times for medical care, according to a major Euronews Health analysis based on fresh OECD data. In some categories of planned treatment, they reach almost two years. Unlike many European countries, the Moldovan legislation does not have a clear regulation strictly limiting the maximum waiting time for planned services. And they are still deliberately shorter.

The new Hungarian government has signaled it may lift its long-standing veto of Ukraine’s European Union bid, paving the way for the first phase of formal EU membership talks with Kiev and Chisinau.

The Government today approved amendments to the regulatory framework on the eco-design requirements for energy-saving products, in line with the latest European Union standards. The amendments affect several categories of products frequently used by citizens and businesses: household dryers, fans, heating appliances and standby electrical equipment.

European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos will visit Moldova on June 4-6. During her visit, she will participate in two major events and will discuss with the authorities and society the country’s progress in the European integration process.

The European Commission said that it was not ready to transfer the first tranche of the €90bn loan approved for 2026-2027 to Ukraine. According to the official version, the delay in the disbursement of the first €9.1bn, which should have been received by Kiev by the end of June, was caused by its failure to fulfill “all the technical requirements” of Brussels.

Moldova reaffirms its commitment to deepen cooperation with NATO as Agne Glevetskaite begins her mandate as head of the Alliance’s Liaison Office in Chisinau. The new Head has already held a series of meetings with government representatives to discuss priorities for the period 2025-2028, with a focus on modernizing the defence sector, strengthening national resilience and implementing assistance packages.

Norway may return to the issue of joining the EU. The country’s authorities recognize that the changed global environment and the EU’s growing trade influence are forcing Oslo to reconsider its previous approaches to relations with Brussels.

A Moldovan parliamentary delegation is on a study visit to the European Parliament. The program of the visit, organized by the Democracy Support and Electoral Coordination Unit, includes discussions on the country’s progress in the European integration process, as well as on the strengthening of cooperation between the two legislative bodies.