The Republic of Moldova has a historic opportunity to begin accession negotiations and outpace Ukraine in the negotiation process. This is stated by the former chief negotiator for Romania’s accession to the European Union, Leonard Orban. According to him, if the Republic of Moldova has the political will to implement reforms and administrative capacity, and resolves the Transnistrian issue, it is feasible for EU accession to occur in 2030, as noted by ipn.md.
Leonard Orban, the chief negotiator for Romania’s accession to the EU, says that the geopolitical situation has created conditions for both the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine to obtain candidate status for accession. If the conditions set by the European Commission are met, accession negotiations could start soon.
“It’s a historic chance. It’s an opportunity that should not be missed. Romania had an opportunity window to start accession negotiations in 2000, conclude them in December 2004, and join the EU in 2007. Moldova, a small country in terms of integration, faces much smaller issues compared to Ukraine and has an extraordinary chance. My opinion is that a decision to start accession negotiations with Moldova will not be made without Ukraine. The beginning will be joint. As it was with Romania and Bulgaria. However, during the accession negotiations, the pace will be different. Clearly, Moldova could integrate much faster if there is political support manifested in efforts for profound change, and administrative capacity, and the Transnistrian issue is resolved. These are the three conditions that, if met, give Moldova a good chance,” said the former chief negotiator for Romania’s EU accession, Leonard Orban.
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Representatives of the government in Chisinau have repeatedly announced that by 2030, the Republic of Moldova must be prepared for European integration. According to Leonard Orban, the most important conditions to achieve this goal involve judicial reform and the fight against corruption.
“The year 2030 may seem extremely ambitious, but it is a feasible deadline. Judicial reform is crucial and is not only an essential matter for the European Commission, the negotiating institution, but also for the member states. In our case, the National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA) worked very well. I hope that this new structure, the Anti-Corruption Court, will not be just a label but will prove its effectiveness in combating corruption,” added Leonard Orban.
In October, the European Commission will publish a report on the Republic of Moldova’s progress in implementing the nine conditions required for candidate country status.
Based on the European Commission’s report, in December, the European Council could decide to start accession negotiations.