News about European integration
A mission of TAIEX experts from the European Commission is in Chisinau on April 14-16 to strengthen Moldova’s capacity to apply international restrictive measures (sanctions).
European Central Bank chief Christine Lagarde has publicly backed Hungary’s possible switch to the euro, a signal that could mark a sharp reversal in the country’s economic policy after a change of government.
Estonia has been providing Moldova with continuous support on its path to the EU, including through financial assistance – including a recent package of 748,000 euros. The money will be used for strategic communication, digitalization and resilience building.
A levy of 0.5% of the investment volume to finance the development of technical standards in construction has caused concern in the business community. Representatives of the business community warn of risks to investment activity. The authorities say that it is possible to discuss the introduction of the mechanism, but not its expediency.
Moldova is waiting for the acceleration of partnership with Hungary. Moldovan President Maia Sandu said this in a message posted on social network X (Twitter) after the announcement of the results of the parliamentary election in Hungary.
Moldova plans to introduce European safety standards for road tunnels over 500 meters long. There are no such facilities in the country yet, but the bill has been drafted as part of the requirements of European Union integration and applies to tunnels in operation, under construction or in design.
Every tenth household in Moldova does not have access to drinking water and almost a quarter does not have access to a proper sewerage system. The Government plans to ensure that by 2030 at least 95% of the population has access to safe water supply and at least 65% to sewerage services.
Over the past 16 years, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, the longest-serving head of government in the European Union, has taken all sorts of actions to tip the electoral scales in favor of his ruling Fidesz party. However, that party may well lose Sunday’s election, raising the question of next steps.
The national list of restrictive measures to which the Republic of Moldova has acceded includes 5,696 entities. As the existing data storage platform does not ensure full integration and convenient processing of information, the authorities plan to implement an Information System for recording international restrictive measures.
On April 10, the entry/exit system (EES) became fully operational at the EU’s external borders (land border crossings, airports and seaports).
According to an April report by the World Bank (WB), Moldova’s GDP growth forecast for 2026 was revised downward from 2.7% to 1.9%. Nevertheless, the economy is expected to recover with growth of 3.8% in 2027. These data reflect the adjustment of the country’s economic outlook within the framework of the updated forecast.
The Roma community is an integral part of our society and contributes, through its culture and values, to the diversity and national cultural wealth.”
About one-third of Romania’s National Program for Recovery and Reform (PNRR) is behind schedule, which could result in the loss of billions of euros in EU aid and billions more in penalties.
Alina Chebotarev took the oath of office in the Parliament and officially assumed the position of the Chairman of the Competition Council, outlining the key areas of her future work.
New rules will come into force on the seed market of the Republic of Moldova, which will facilitate the introduction of high-yielding varieties and hybrids in agriculture. And partially eliminate the distortions in the Moldovan seed market, which arose after the introduction of OECD and ISTA certificates as a mandatory norm for seed imports. The Government approved draft amendments to the Law on Seeds (No. 68/2013).
The new GRECO report on Moldova requires a thorough and detailed examination if the country is to fight corruption and meet EU standards in this area.
On April 8, the government presented the concept of local self-government reform. The administrative-territorial reform planned by the authorities is criticized both by independent analysts and opposition politicians, as well as by many mayors – both its concept and methods of implementation.
Moldovan President Maia Sandu has signed an agreement on mutual recognition and exchange of driving licenses in Ireland. The document was signed during an official visit to Ireland, where the head of state held meetings with President Catherine Connolly, Prime Minister Michol Martin and Deputy Prime Minister Simon Harris.
For a month and a half, the post of the chairperson of the Competition Council remains vacant after the former head, Aleksei Hercescu, left it at his own request. On Wednesday, April 8, the parliamentary commission for economy, budget and finance nominated Alina Chebotariov to head the institution.
The Council of Europe’s Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) has published the fifth report on Moldova’s implementation of the anti-corruption recommendations of the fifth round of assessment. The document deals with the prevention of corruption at the highest level of the executive branch and in law enforcement agencies – precisely where trust in the state and its institutions is formed.
