Moldova completes Brussels screening, final chapter: financial legislation
Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration, Cristina Gherasimov, has announced that the final day of bilateral screening for the Republic of Moldova will take place on Monday, September 22, in Brussels. During this meeting, the Moldovan delegation, alongside experts from the European Commission, will discuss Chapter 33 – Financial and Budgetary Provisions, which will conclude the entire bilateral screening process.
The authorities state that the implementation of the provisions of this chapter will help the Republic of Moldova to modernize its financial institutions, establish and apply clear rules to ensure proper control of money and prevent fraud. Additionally, taxes can be managed more efficiently and directed towards the most critical sectors, such as medicine, education, infrastructure, or the environment.
“This will mean greater financial security for people, even in times of crisis, more funds and investments, which will create new jobs, guarantee better salaries and a more stable economy”, said Catalina Volontir, Chapter 33 Officer at the Office for European Integration.
According to Ghenadie Marian, Head of the Office, Chapter 33 concludes the entire bilateral screening process, which began in July 2024. "We analyzed how national legislation differs from European legislation in order to understand what we still have to do to prepare the country for accession to the European Union," Ghenadie Marian stated.
Also on Monday, the Office for European Integration is organizing public consultations on the commitments to be assumed by the Republic of Moldova on the last three groups of clusters. The debates are taking place at the Government and address the following chapters: Competitiveness and Inclusive Growth (Cluster III), Green Agenda and Sustainable Connectivity (Cluster IV), and Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Cohesion (Cluster V).
On September 10, the European Parliament adopted a resolution calling for the start of accession negotiations on chapters with the Republic of Moldova. The European Parliament praised the Republic of Moldova's steady progress in reforms targeting justice, the fight against corruption and strengthening the rule of law, recalling that the opening of EU accession negotiations in June 2024 was possible thanks to Chisinau's determination, despite a fragile geopolitical context. MEPs urged "The Council to open accession negotiations on Cluster 1 (fundamental aspects) more quickly, recognising the substantial progress made by the Republic of Moldova in promoting crucial reforms".
