The European Union could soon present Moldova with a roadmap for further European integration, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in her State of the Union address.
Von der Leyen reiterated that EU accession will remain a merit-based process. At the same time, she said EU member states would continue to support one another and that candidate countries have demonstrated that the European idea remains strong.
“We must also win back the hearts of Europeans. We must instill this sense of belonging to something greater than all of us. Belonging to a common home. The certainty that, among Europeans, we can always rely on one another. We only need to look beyond our borders to understand how much vitality this European idea still has. We only need to look at Ukraine and Moldova. At the Western Balkans. We only need to look at all these countries close to our Union.
“And because their future lies in our Union, we will soon propose roadmaps for the candidate countries that have made the most progress.
“This process will continue to be merit-based. And, ladies and gentlemen, let me reiterate this: respect for our values is not negotiable,” Ursula von der Leyen said.
Moldova formally applied for EU membership in 2022, together with Ukraine and Georgia, shortly after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Moldova and Ukraine were granted EU candidate status in June 2022, while the EU recognized Georgia’s European perspective.
Moldova has since advanced in the accession process. In June 2026, the EU formally opened the first accession negotiation cluster with Moldova, covering fundamentals, including the rule of law and democratic institutions. In July, negotiations also began on the external relations cluster.
The European Commission has repeatedly highlighted Moldova’s progress on reforms. At the June 2026 EU-Moldova Summit, von der Leyen said Moldova had completed 93% of the reforms due under the Growth Plan at that point, unlocking around €504 million in EU funds.