--- title: "EU sees no obstacle to Moldova joining the bloc by 2030 " url: https://radiomoldova.md/p/86692/eu-sees-no-obstacle-to-moldova-joining-the-bloc-by-2030 published: 2026-10-07T04:11:33Z language: en author: "Dumitru Petruleac" section: "EU accession" source: radiomoldova.md --- # EU sees no obstacle to Moldova joining the bloc by 2030 > Moldova could enter the European Union by 2030 if it maintains its current pace of structural reforms, European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos told public broadcaster Moldova 1. ![](https://storage.radiomoldova.md/images/70b2e892-8cf3-4f1e-948c-35e361c441bf.jpg) Moldova could enter the European Union by 2030 if it maintains its current pace of structural reforms, European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos told public broadcaster Moldova 1. Speaking during an interview on the program *“În context,”* the European official commended Chisinau’s resilience amid intensifying Russian hybrid pressure. She underlined that the European Commission sees no fundamental hurdle to fulfilling the 2030 accession goal provided reform delivery remains consistent. *“If I may share my view, I congratulate everyone in the Republic of Moldova, its citizens, for remarkable achievements,”* Kos said. *“What you have delivered over the last two to three years is extraordinary under difficult conditions where Russia is actively trying to impede you. If you continue to deliver at this pace, I see no impediment to Moldova becoming an EU member state in 2030.”* **Post-accession safeguards to strictly target democratic backsliding** Addressing concerns over upcoming integration instruments, Kos explained that proposed post-accession safeguards do not represent a punitive mechanism, but rather lessons drawn from past enlargement waves to anchor the rule of law. *“Candidate countries that joined previously had similar safeguard mechanisms to protect either themselves or existing member states,”* Kos said. *“Our focus is ensuring that newly admitted members continue to conform to democratic principles. These measures will apply exclusively if an acceding state breaches these shared standards.”* She reiterated that compliant nations will face no operational hurdles under the framework. *“If Moldova complies with the rules of democracy and the rule of law, you will not feel these safeguards at all,”* the commissioner noted. **Qualified majority voting proposed for intermediate milestones** To streamline an enlargement process historically vulnerable to unilateral national vetoes, the European Commission is proposing qualified majority voting (QMV) for intermediate procedural steps. *“Accession decisions currently rely on full unanimity,”* Kos noted, explaining that moving intermediate steps to qualified majority voting is intended to optimize internal EU governance. *“It is about ensuring our own decision-making process becomes more efficient and our institutions more aligned.”* The proposals remain subject to debate among EU member states, where broad political backing from national capitals will prove decisive. Kos emphasized that sustained diplomatic engagement between Moldovan leaders and European counterparts remains essential to build full consensus. [Video](https://www.youtube.com/embed/AlBiu71Oyk8) **Roadmap to set indicative timeline for concluding talks** The European Commission recently designated Moldova among four candidate countries—alongside Ukraine, Montenegro, and Albania—demonstrating an advanced tier of accession readiness. Moldovan Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration Cristina Gherasimov confirmed that this evaluation will yield a formal accession roadmap on October 28. *“The most important news from Commissioner Kos’s announcement in Strasbourg is that Moldova has been identified as having an advanced level of accession readiness,”* Gherasimov said on Moldova 1. *“Consequently, we will receive a roadmap that anchors us clearly on our path toward full membership.”* Gherasimov added that Chisinau aims to complete accession negotiations by early 2028, creating the necessary window to achieve full accession by 2030. While the roadmap will not set an automatic accession date, it will provide an indicative schedule for closing negotiation chapters. Moldova officially opened Cluster 1 (*Fundamentals*) on June 15 during an Intergovernmental Conference in Luxembourg, followed by the opening of Cluster 6 (*External Relations*) on July 14 in Brussels. Chisinau authorities and EU officials are currently working toward opening the remaining four clusters. Translation by **Iurie Tataru** **RELATED COVERAGE** * [EU prepares accession roadmap for Moldova with veto curbs](https://moldova1.md/p/86950/eu-prepares-accession-roadmap-for-moldova-with-veto-curbs) * [EU ready to fund Moldova reforms, senior lawmaker says](https://moldova1.md/p/86770/eu-ready-to-fund-moldova-reforms-senior-lawmaker-says) * [EU plans accession roadmaps for Moldova and candidates](https://moldova1.md/p/85490/eu-plans-accession-roadmaps-for-moldova-and-candidates) * [Moldova aims to sign the EU Accession Treaty in 2028. Grosu](https://moldova1.md/p/82165/moldova-aims-to-sign-the-eu-accession-treaty-in-2028-grosu--we-must-convince-every-member-state-we-deserve-it-) * [Moldova opens EU cluster 6 negotiations in Brussels](https://moldova1.md/p/80610/moldova-opens-eu-cluster-6-negotiations-in-brussels)