The capacities of national key actors to steer and implement a cooperative and participative process of Moldova’s EU alignment are enhanced

EU integration represents the long-term strategic vision for Moldova's development and its strategic anchor for reforms. With the start of accession negotiations at the end of 2023, the integration process is now in its initial phase. The Government has set ambitious objectives for the year 2025, aiming to complete the screening of national legislation by end of the year and open official negotiations on first chapters of the Fundamentals Cluster, which is centered around rule of law, public administration reform and democratic institutions.

The accession process presents substantial challenges due to its complexity and the speed at which Moldova is expected to adapt its national legislation to EU requirements. A primary focus of these efforts is Chapter 23 and Chapter 24. Chapter 23 addresses the establishment of an independent and efficient judiciary, the fight against corruption, and the protection of fundamental rights, including minority rights and gender equality. Chapter 24 focuses on issues such as border management, asylum policies, organized crime prevention, and law enforcement cooperation. 

The Bureau for European Integration (BEI) within the State Chancellery has been tasked with coordinating Moldova's EU alignment efforts. The BEI works closely with 35 national sectoral working groups responsible for various chapters of the EU acquis.

The Government requires substantial capacity building and support to ensure effective coordination and alignment of Moldovan legislation to the EU standards. Key challenges are:

·        are low coordination and integration management capacities of the key negotiation structure

·        lack of sector specific capacities to analyze legal and institutional gaps for the adoption of the EU acquis as well as sector specific capacities to transpose the EU acquis into national law

·        limited institutional capacity to estimate the EU acquis adoption costs and carrying out regulatory impact assessments

Against this backdrop, the project aims at strengthening capacities regarding coordination and EU methodology and at supporting acquis alignment in relevant areas of Cluster I, specifically negotiation Chapters 23 and 24. To achieve its objective, the project applies a two-pronged approach:  

1. “Expertise”: A flexible expert pool will provide hands-on, needs-based, structured solution-oriented on-the-job support, coaching, and mentoring to the relevant stakeholders to adequately address the gaps that need to be filled for actual alignment for concrete priority reforms. Training measures and collaborations with renowned international and German think tanks, universities and other institutions can be provided to further develop the capacities of partner personnel. 

2. “Experience”: Facilitation of experience exchange with EU Member States and accession candidates in the areas of strategic planning and coordination of the accession process, with a specific focus on topics related to promoting legitimate governance structures and the rule of law. 

All citizens of Moldova will indirectly benefit from the project’s actions through improvement of legislative frameworks and an overall enhanced rule of law in Moldova, facilitating progress towards EU integration.
By strengthening fundamental rights, including minority rights, specific groups will benefit specifically, such as ethnic minorities or people with disabilities. Also, gender equality will be enhanced.

Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Internal Affairs, Bureau for EU Integration

State Chancellery of the Republic of Moldova