When could the Republic of Moldova receive the first tranche of the 1.9 billion euro aid from the EU? Mureșan replies
The Moldova-European Union summit, set to take place on July 4 in Chisinau, serves as further confirmation of the European Union's support for the Republic of Moldova, said Romanian MEP Siegfried Mureșan during the "La 360 de grade" program. He emphasized that European support will continue, particularly if, following the parliamentary elections this fall, Moldova is governed by a reliable and pro-European leadership.
The European Union has offered 1.9 billion euros to the Republic of Moldova, and an official has confirmed that pre-financing will be disbursed in the next 2-3 weeks.
The pre-financing is set to be disbursed soon, with only a few procedural and technical steps left to complete. All significant decisions have already been made. The Growth Plan was finalized by the authorities of the Republic of Moldova and signed between the Government of Moldova and the European Commission, represented by Commissioner Marta Kos, on May 9 in Chișinău. I was present as a Parliament negotiator during this signing. Currently, technical procedures are underway for the disbursement of the pre-financing, which, as far as I know, is expected to occur in 2-3 weeks. Therefore, the wait for the disbursement is very short, and we can anticipate it by the end of this month, or at the latest by early June.
The Republic of Moldova is on track to begin accession negotiations, most likely this summer, as stated by Siegfried Mureșan. He noted that our country has no reservations about opening the first three clusters and hopes that political decisions regarding the start of negotiations will be made by the end of Poland's presidency of the European Union. The same applies to Ukraine, which is expected to join Moldova in this process.
"Things are progressing in the right direction and at a rapid pace," Mureșan emphasized. "The European Commission and the entire European Union are eager for the Republic of Moldova to become a full-fledged member state soon." After the decision to initiate negotiations, an assessment was conducted to evaluate the compatibility of Moldovan legislation with European Union legislation. This analysis focused on how Moldovan laws can be harmonized with EU laws and how negotiations on the clusters can be effectively opened.
Citizens of the Republic of Moldova will soon experience the support of the European Union through a series of significant benefits. These include joining the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA), eliminating roaming fees, and access to new European programs.
Starting on October 5, Moldovan citizens will benefit from reduced bank transfer fees, making financial transactions with EU member states easier. When asked about the timeline for eliminating roaming costs for Moldovans, MEP Siegfried Mureșan mentioned that technical discussions are currently ongoing between the European Commission and the authorities in Chișinău. He acknowledged that there are technical challenges due to the number of operators involved across the 27 EU member states.
