EN    EN EN 
EN    EN  EUROPEAN COMMISSION  
Brussels, 12.5.2010 
SEC(2010) 523 final 
  
COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT 
accompanying the 
 
COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION  
TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIA MENT AND THE COUNCIL 
Taking stock of the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) 
  
Implementation of the European Neighbourhood Policy in 2009 
Progress Report Republic of Moldova  
 
  
 
{COM(2010) 207 final} 
{SEC(2010) 513 final} {SEC(2010) 514 final} {SEC(2010) 515 final} {SEC(2010) 516 final} {SEC(2010) 517 final} {SEC(2010) 518 final} {SEC(2010) 519 final} {SEC(2010) 520 final} {SEC(2010) 521 final} {SEC(2010) 522 final} {SEC(2010) 524 final} {SEC(2010) 525 final} 
EN 2   EN 1. BACKGROUND AND OVERALL ASSESSMENT  
The Republic of Moldova (hereinafter referred to as Moldova) and the EU first established 
contractual relations through a Partnership and Cooperation Agreement in 1994 which entered 
into force in 1998. On this basis, the EU -Moldova ENP Action Plan was approved in 
February 2005 for a period of three years and extended by mutual agreement from February 
2008 onwards. In December 2009 it was agreed to  continue guiding and monitoring the ENP 
Action Plan on the basis of yearly sets of priorities and schedules. 
EU-Moldova meetings took place at the level of the Cooperation Council, the Cooperation 
Committee and four subcommittees. 
This document reports on progress made in implementing the EU-Moldova ENP Action Plan 
between 1 January and 31 December 2009. Developm ents outside this period are also taken 
into consideration when deemed relevant. It is not  a general review of the political and 
economic situation in Moldova . In addition, for informati on on regional and multilateral 
sector processes, please re fer to the sectoral report. 
In June 2009, the Council adopted negotiating di rectives for a new EU-Moldova agreement to 
supersede the PCA. The July 2009 parliamentary elections, the restoratio n of equal treatment 
of all EU citizens in Moldova’s  visa policy and the commitment  of the Moldovan authorities 
to address outstanding human rights issues, pa ved the way for launching the negotiations in 
January 2010. 
In April 2009 Moldova went through disputed elections. Street riot s met with serious 
violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms by the law enforcement bodies, before 
repeat elections allowed a stable  parliamentary majority to be formed and a start was made on 
stabilising the domestic and external political  situation. The two rounds of parliamentary 
elections revealed shortcomings that challe nged some OSCE commitments. The Parliament 
did not manage to elect a President. EU-Mol dova relations suffered for most of the year, 
before picking up again after the appointment of the new Government. Subsequently, political 
dialogue with the EU and the Moldovan authoritie s’ interaction with in ternational institutions 
have increased.  
Efforts to effectively implement structural re forms, based on a strong European integration 
government programme aligned with the objec tives of the EU-Moldova Action Plan, were 
stepped up in the last quarter of 2009. Dial ogue with civil society noticeably improved and 
measures were taken to increase access to in formation and transparency of the public 
decision-making process. Amendments to the elect oral code were adopted  as requested by the 
Council of Europe’s Venice Commission, and pr ogress was made in fighting corruption and 
money laundering as well as on judiciary reform  and implementation of the rulings of the 
European Court of Human Rights.  
Over the reporting period some progress was achiev ed in most of the sectoral fields covered 
by the ENP Action Plan, in particular in the areas of customs, sanitary and phytosanitary 
standards, and financial serv ices. Other achievements to be  noted are the accession of 
Moldova to the Energy Community, subject to the adoption of missing parts of its energy 
legal framework; the Memorandum of Unders tanding with the European Commission on a 
EU High Level Policy Advisory Mission to Moldova; the EU-Moldova  joint statement, 
released at the Cooperation Council meeti ng of December 2009, announcing the opening in 
EN 3   EN 2010 of a dialogue examining the conditions for Mo ldovan citizens’ visa-free travel to the EU 
as a long-term goal; and a more active engage ment on the Transnistria issue. Moldova 
continued to benefit from the expertise of the EU Border Assistance Mission (EUBAM), 
which contributed to improving migration a nd border management and whose mandate was 
extended for a second time.  
At the same time, Moldova engaged in structur al reforms in order to counter the economic 
and financial crisis that hit the country hard in late 2008. It con tinued to benefit fully from the 
EU Autonomous Trade Preferences and in July 2009 a feasibility study on the future 
establishment of a deep and comprehensiv e free trade area (DCFTA) was finalised. An 
economic stabilisation and recovery progr amme 2009-2011 was adopted in November 2009. 
In October 2009, an arrangement was reached w ith the IMF, which was signed in January 
2010 in the form of a three-year arrangement  under the Extended Credit Facility and the 
Extended Fund Facility (SDR 369.6 million).  
To fulfil the ENP Action Plan commitments, further progress is needed to strengthen the 
mechanisms designed to prevent violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms, 
ensure the neutrality of the public media and promote a plura listic media environment. In 
addition, proper implementation of adopted legislat ion and further reform of the judiciary and 
the rule of law, intensification of the fi ght against trafficking in human beings, and 
improvement of the matching of labour market  needs with skills development would be 
required to meet the commitments. 
The Moldovan authorities and civil society re presentatives participated actively in the 
multilateral framework of the Eastern Partnershi p, in particular through open dialogue and 
their contribution to the working programmes for the four thematic platforms. Together with 
the bilateral elements of the Eastern Partnershi p, this contributed to the strengthening of EU-
Moldova relations and reinforcement of the fo llow-up on the priorities of the ENP Action 
Plan. 
2. POLITICAL DIALOGUE AND REFORM  
2009 was marked by the political events triggere d by the disputed parliamentary elections in 
April and the breakdown of respect for human ri ghts and the rule of la w in relation to the 
subsequent demonstrations, as well as the seve re impact of the global economic and financial 
crisis on the Moldovan economy. Also in April, se veral high-level visits  took place to discuss 
the post-electoral situatio n, calling for dialogue between  political parties.  
Following repeat parliamentary elections held in July 2009, a new Government was appointed 
on a strong European integration platform and committed to addressing the shortcomings in 
the field of human rights and the rule of law highlighted by the April events. The political 
dialogue with Moldova intensif ied. The EU Ministerial Troi ka and the Commissioners for 
Trade, European Neighbourhood Policy and Eur opeAid Co-operation Office visited Moldova 
in October and November 2009, re spectively. Consultations al so took place between the 
Government and the EU Politi cal and Security Committee, th e Council Working Party on 
Eastern Europe and Central Asia, and the Politic al Directors’ Troika. In the run-up to the 
negotiations on a new EU-Moldova agreement, th e political dialogue was rapidly taken up to 
a new level. An ambitious way forward for th e development of EU-Moldova relations was set 
out in a joint statement issued in Decembe r by the EU-Republic of Moldova Cooperation 
EN 4   EN Council. Shortly after, the EU and Moldova agreed to es tablish a regular human rights 
dialogue.  
Democracy and the Rule of law 
The parliamentary  elections  held in April 2009 were followed by large-scale peaceful 
demonstrations of the opposition parties and a politically active youth movement in response 
to alleged electoral fraud. The protests dege nerated into violent ri ots with the alleged 
involvement of provocateurs . Because it failed to elect a President, the Parliament was 
dissolved in June 2009. Prior to  its dissolution, it amended the Electoral Code to reduce the 
thresholds for validation of elections and for po litical parties to be represented in Parliament. 
The Council of Europe Venice Commission welc omed these changes, but recalled other 
recommendations, such as a ban on pre-electo ral alliances and lifting the provisions barring 
certain categories of officials and elected representatives from holding dual or multiple 
citizenships. The latter restriction was remove d by the subsequent Parliament, in December 
2009. 
The OSCE/ODIHR International Election Observ ation Mission concluded that the re-run July 
elections “were well-administered overall a nd allowed for competiti on among political parties 
representing a plurality of views” but also underlined a numb er of shortcomings, in particular 
as regards the media and the campaign environmen t. In response to the inability of the new 
Parliament to elect a President, a commission for constitutional reform was established in December 2009 to propose amendments, in particul ar on the provisions related to the election 
of the President. In ad dition, consultations were  initiated with the Council of Europe Venice 
Commission to advise on const itutional changes. This proce ss is ongoing at the time of 
writing.  
One of the five core objectives of the new government programme is the decentralisation of 
power to safeguard local autonomy , by transferring executive and budgetary responsibilities. 
If effectively implemented, these efforts woul d be fully in line with key commitments 
accepted under the ENP Action Plan in an area where limited progress has been reported so 
far.  
As regards the rule of law and judicial reform , amendments to the Law on the Superior 
Council of Magistrate s, the Law on the status of judges and the Law on the public prosecution 
service (PPS) became effective in the first qua rter of 2009. However, the amendments to the 
Law on the Superior Council of Magistrate s do not comply with Council of Europe 
recommendations and were considered as a signi ficant step backwards in the judiciary reform 
process. The Law on PPS similarly disregarde d a number of important recommendations 
made by the Council of Europe. An action plan  for implementing the judicial reform was 
approved in October 2009 and started immediat ely. The plan, which will require in-depth 
revision of the Constitution and certain organic laws, addresses the Superior Council of Magistrates, the selection of judges, the e limination of economic and military courts, the 
administration of courts of justice, the judicial enforcement system, and the bar 
administration. The National Institu te of Justice continued to enjoy international support and 
stepped up its training activitie s. A Superior Council of Pub lic Prosecutors was set up in 
December 2009. A modern judicial information system is being implemented. The main challenge for Moldova in implementing the re form of the judiciary remains the limited 
resources available. As the Law on legal as sistance was being put in  place, a number of 
shortcomings continued to be reported, notably  as regards allocation of resources and the 
functioning of the National Legal Assistance Council.  
EN 5   EN Progress was observed in combating  corruption . Anticorruption awareness-raising and 
education campaigns were carried out, thereby a ddressing some of the concerns raised in the 
previous progress report. Th e Centre for Combating Econo mic Crimes and Corruption, 
established in 2008, is operational and during th e year provided corrup tion proofing expertise 
for 228 draft laws and secondary normative acts . Overall, while the Council of Europe’s 
Group of States against Corruption  (GRECO) considers that Mol dova has made significant 
progress in implementing its recommendations, tw o major deficiencies have still to be 
addressed: delays in adopting and implementi ng international instrume nts and the lack of 
effective enforcement of the anti-corruption legal framework. Moldova  improved its ranking 
in terms of perceived corruption in comparison with other countries.  
Human rights and fundamental freedoms 
The events that followed the April parlia mentary elections highlighted structural 
shortcomings as regards respect for  human rights  and rule of law standards . Notably, 
disproportionate use of force by the law enfo rcement bodies was repo rted; several hundred 
people, including minors, were arbitrarily arrest ed and detained; violations of procedural 
rights of persons and ill-treatm ent during detention were reporte d to be widespread; and at 
least one death was confirmed to be related to such ill-treatment. 
The new Government has accep ted responsibility for law enforcement bodies’ abuse of 
powers with regard to persons arrested in re lation to the April demonstrations. In October 
2009, the new Moldovan Parliament established a bi-partisan commission of inquiry to 
investigate the April events. A number of deficien cies in the response of the authorities at the 
time of the events were denounced by internat ional organisations and Moldovan civil society. 
These included persistent lack of clarity on data  regarding the victims, the inefficiency of the 
investigations by the Prosecutor General’s Offi ce, the limited number of criminal proceedings 
initiated in relation to allegations of torture and ill-treatment, and a general sense of entrenched impunity for law enforcement office rs who were allegedly responsible for the 
violations.  
The National Action Plan on Human Rights 2009-2012, which was published in early 2009, 
was submitted to civil society representative s for review in the autumn. A number of 
shortcomings regarding the independence and the overall functioning of the Parliamentary 
Advocates (Ombudsmen) were not addressed.  
The execution of judgments of the European Court of Human Rights continued to prove 
problematic. The new Government has however committed itself to ensuring the effective execution of all these judgments. 
As regards international instruments , Moldova has fully complied with the ratification 
commitments in the Action Plan, with the exce ption of the Convention on Migrant Workers. 
Moldova actively cooperates with the UN human rights mechanisms – its periodic reports to 
the Human Rights Committee, the Committee ag ainst Torture and the Committee for the 
Rights of the Child were disc ussed in January, October and November 2009 respectively. No 
periodic reports to the treaty bodies are overdue. Moldova has not  extended an open invitation 
to Special Procedures. The International Convention on the Rights of Persons with 
Disabilities and its Optional Pr otocol, and the International C onvention for the Protection of 
All Persons from Enforced Disappear ance are still awai ting ratification.  
EN 6   EN Comprehensive anti-discrimination  legislation has yet to be adopted; the draft law on 
preventing and combating discrimination, which underwent a round of pub lic consultations in 
June-July 2009, was not submitted to Parliament. As regards national minorities, non-governmental organisations report continuing  discriminatory treatment of the Roma 
population, notably as regards access to education, health and an adequate  standard of living. 
Inadequate allocation of resources and the lack  of data for assessin g progress co ntinued to 
hamper severely the implementation of the National Action Plan in support of the Roma 
population 2007-2010. Discriminatory treatment and social stigmatisation of persons living 
with HIV/AIDS, persons with disabilities and se xual minorities continued to be reported by 
international organisations and ci vil society. No progress was made  with the ratification of the 
European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages.  
No progress was reported as regards dealing with  existing restrictions on the exercise of the 
right to freedom of religion . Furthermore, a number of Mu slim religious communities were 
reported to be still prevented from being re gistered. In December, an Orthodox community 
dismantled the Chanukah Menorah in the centre of  Chisinau and replaced it with an Orthodox 
cross, in a demonstration featuring explicit an ti-semitic statements. No police or other forces 
of public order interven ed to stop the action. The Government quickly and firmly condemned 
the acts and a criminal investigation was ope ned. In August 2009, the Chisinau Municipality 
ordered the relocation of a peacef ul public event by a Protestant group from the city centre to 
a marginal location of the city.  
On efforts to  combat trafficking in human beings , the National Referral System for 
Assistance and Protection to Victims and Pote ntial Victims of Trafficking was extended in 
2009 and is now active in 29 districts including the country’s two larges t cities. See further 
chapter 5.  
Ill-treatment by the police remains widespread and conditions in police detention facilities 
and prisons are still serious sources of concer n. A number of positive actions were initiated 
under the new Government with a view to en forcing a zero-toleran ce” policy towards ill-
treatment throughout the criminal justice system. The prev entive mechanism created within 
the Centre for Human Rights (Parliamentary a dvocates) needs to be significantly strengthened 
in order to meet the requirements set out und er the Optional Protocol to the Convention 
against Torture. Some positive developments could be noted in the area of penal reform, notably the improvement of prison infrastr ucture but further progress is needed.  
In the area of protection of personal data , the Additional Protocol on supervisory authorities 
and trans-border data flows to  the 1981 Council of Europe Convention on the Protection of 
Individuals with regard to the Automatic Proce ssing of Personal Data is yet to be signed and 
ratified . The National Centre for Data Protection (supervisory authority) started its operations 
in January 2009 but has to build up the resources  necessary to do its j ob properly. In addition, 
further amendments to the existing law on protec tion of personal data wi ll be needed in order 
to ensure further alignment with European standards.  
As regards freedom of expression and media pluralism , the situation worsened significantly 
in the first half of 2009 through, notably, seve re restrictions of th e right of access to 
information and the use of administrative m eans such as tax investigations, as well as 
restrictions on freedom of medi a and free reporting in the cont ext of the elections. New laws 
on state secret and on transparency in the public  decision-making process entered into force in 
2009, as did modifications to the Criminal Code th at only partly reflect ed Council of Europe’s 
recommendations on the decriminalisation of slander and libel. In the later part of the year a 
EN 7   EN number of measures were taken aiming to reverse the situation. In November 2009, the 
Audiovisual Code was amended - without consul tation of the Council of Europe - to simplify 
the appointment procedure for the members of the Audiovisual Coordi nation Council and the 
Supervisory Council for Radio and Television. At the same time, in the last quarter of 2009, a 
private radio station was experiencing severe di fficulties in having its license renewed, and an 
opposition TV channel was required at very short notice to move out from its Government-owned premises.  
There were reports of cases of  arbitrary restriction of the right to peaceful assembly  during 
the first half of 2009, as well as instances of refusal to regi ster NGOs. For the second year in a 
row, the organisers of the a nnual ‘gay pride’ event decided to cancel it, citing security 
concerns.  
Good progress was noted w ith regard to the incl usion of civil society in the decision-making 
process in the latter part of the year. In  December 2009, the Government established the 
National Participation Council, a formal fo rum designed to intensify dialogue with civil 
society  and increase its participation in the public decision-making process.  
During the reporting period the Mi nistry of social protection, family and children began 
reviewing the legislation on gender equality. Yet, women continue to face discrimination in 
practice, including high levels of  unemployment and deep-rooted stereotypes. While for the 
first time under the new Law on preventing and combating domestic violence a perpetrator 
was removed from his residence in Septem ber 2009, this phenomenon remains widespread 
and additional protective infrastr ucture for victims of domestic violence is needed. In May 
2009, the UN Special Rapporteur on Violence ag ainst Women noted that the protective 
infrastructure for victims of domestic violence remains insufficient.  
Some perceptible progress was made regarding children’s rights . In January 2009 the UN 
Committee on the Rights of the Child issued de tailed recommendations to the Government, 
covering in particular: corporal punishment and other violence against children, access by 
vulnerable groups to key services, temporary se paration from parents, abuse and neglect, the 
situation of children with disabili ties, child labour, the administra tion of juvenile justice, and a 
range of other areas. Work has st arted to identify criteria for cas es of violence against children 
and initial training of social  assistance workers took place in the second half of 2009.  
In terms of trade unions’ rights and core labour standards , amendments to the Labour 
Code are still under review. Moldova continue d to implement the ‘Decent Work’ country 
programme 2008-2011 signed in June 2008 with the International Labour Organisation (ILO) 
and the constituent social partners. This led in particular to the improvement of the functioning of the national commission for coll ective consultations and bargaining and to 
improved labour statistics. 
No progress was made on the approval of the dr aft law on ratification of the Rome Statute of 
the International Criminal Court which was  sent to the Parliament in February 2008.  
Cooperation in foreign and security policy, conflict prevention and crisis management 
Moldova continued to cooperate actively with the EU on regi onal and international issues, 
and aligned itself with nearly all EU CFSP declarations open for alignment.  
Regional cooperation 
EN 8   EN Moldova continued to actively pa rticipate in the Central Europ ean Initiative (C EI), the South-
East European Cooperation Process (SEECP)  and Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), and 
the Central European Free Trade Agreem ent (CEFTA). In 2009  Moldova held the 
chairmanship of SEECP and in this context prom oted EU standards in areas like fight against 
corruption, migration and trade.  
Cooperation for the settlement of the Transnistrian conflict 
Moldova cooperated constructively with the EU on all questions related to  the Transnistria 
settlement efforts. In June and November 2009, it took part in informal meetings of the so-
called “5+2” format. The Deputy Prime Minister of the new Government in charge of the Transnistrian settlement agreed with the Tr ansnistrian negotiator on regular bilateral 
meetings. Moldova and the Transnistrian de facto  authorities lent their coordinated support to 
the two packages of EU sponsored confiden ce-building projects laun ched in 2009. Together 
with Ukraine, Moldova continued to implem ent its customs regime based on the Joint 
Declaration of the Moldovan and Ukrainian Prime Ministers of December 2005. In December 
2009, Moldova withdrew the time limit on the legi slation allowing for temporary registration 
of Transnistria-based companies in Chisinau (611 companies as at the end of the reporting 
period).  
EU Border Assistance Mission to  Moldova and Ukraine (EUBAM) 
Moldova continues to be fully committed to, and to participate constructively in, the work of 
EU Border Assistance Mission  to Moldova and Ukraine (EUB AM). Preparations took place 
in view of opening an EUBAM branch office in Chisinau in February 2010. With EUBAM support, the professional capac ities of the Moldovan custom s and border guard services 
continued to be enhanced, as was inter-ag ency cooperation within  Moldova and between 
Moldova and Ukraine. In December 2009, followi ng constructive bilatera l talks as well as 
talks between Ukraine and the Transnistrian de facto authorities, an important advance was 
achieved in starting the demarcation of the cen tral (Transnistrian) segment of the Moldovan-
Ukrainian State border. By agreement betw een the European Commission, Ukraine and 
Moldova, the EUBAM mission was extended in November 2009 for a second time.  
3. 
ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL REFORM  
Macroeconomic framework and functioning of the market economy 
Moldova is one of the partner countries h it hardest by the global financial and economic 
crisis. GDP contracted by 6.5% in 2009, in shar p contrast with the 7.2% GDP growth in 2008. 
External shocks, such as falling remittances  (by over 30%) and FDI inflows (by around half) 
and the slump in trade with the main partners (Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and the EU) were the main causes. In 2009, industrial production declin ed by around 22% compared to the previous 
year. With imports declining more sharply than  exports, the current account deficit decreased 
from around 16% of GDP in 2008 to 9% of GDP in 2009. 
The fall in real incomes was partly cushi oned by the rapid deceleration in prices. The 
budgetary situation deteriorated from the middl e of 2008, despite the cuts of 20% across the 
expenditure side of the budget decided in sp ring 2009. The government deficit reached 6.9% 
of GDP in 2009, against 1% in 2008. As a resu lt of the double extern al shock on trade and 
remittances, pressures on the national curren cy built up and at the end of 2009 the Moldovan 
leu depreciated against major currencies. Th e National Bank of Moldova (NBM), however, 
EN 9   EN partly countered these pressures by using some of  the country's official reserves. Those were 
reduced between September 2008 and April 2009 by nearly 40%. Subsequently, the exchange 
rate stabilised and official rese rves were partly replenished. In  order to counter the impact of 
the crisis, monetary policy was eased substa ntially. Between September 2008 and September 
2009, the NBM cut its main refinancing rate from 18.5% to 5.0% while reserve requirements 
were also reduced drastically. However, in late January 2010, the NB M tightened monetary 
policy and raised the base rate to 6  %, due to an anticipated increa se in the infla tion rate above 
the defined inflation target of 5% with a deviation band of +/-1 percentage point. 
The outlook for Moldova for the short to me dium term is challe nging. After the sharp 
adjustment in 2009, the economy of  Moldova is expected to recover only slowly in the 
coming years. Macro-economic stabilisation is  thus the central immediate concern, and 
financial assistance of the international commun ity will be crucial in achieving this. In 
January 2010 the IMF Executive Board approved three-year arrangements for Moldova under 
the Extended Credit and Extended Fund facilities. The IMF assistance is equivalent to SDR 369.6 million (around EUR 420 million) and is intend ed to help restore fiscal and external 
sustainability. IMF assistance is linked to th e implementation of adjustment measures and 
structural reforms. Moldova also applied for assistance to the World Bank and to the EU for 
Macro-Financial Assistance. 
Employment and social policy 
The Government adopted in November 2009 a pr ogramme for stabilisation and recovery of 
the economy for the years 2009-2 011, to improve the allocation of social assistance and 
prevent social exclusion of  the most vulnerable groups. 
While the minimum wage was increased by 9% year-on-year and new salary norms were 
introduced in January 2009, no significant pr ogress can be reported on the fight against  
poverty which remains a key priority for the Gove rnment. Moldova has the lowest minimum 
salary in Europe.  
In February 2009 Moldova adopted a yearly action plan on  employment  with a view to 
implementing its 2007-2015 Strategy on Employment. The 2009 action plan aims to increase the capacities of the Government and social part ners in formulating employment policies; to 
improve labour market information and labour statistics and to bett er target employment 
services and programmes. The unemployment ra te was estimated in September 2009 at 6.2%. 
While the implementation of the nati onal programme for youth economy (2008-2010) 
continued over the reporting period, youth unemp loyment remains an issue of concern, with, 
officially, 12% of the 15-29 years age group be ing unemployed. The return of migrants, due 
to the global crisis, contributes to put the labour market under pressure by widening the gap 
between the labour market needs and th e skills of the re turned migrants.  
As regards social dialogue , no progress can be reported on th e adoption of the long-awaited 
amended draft Labour Code and the Internatio nal Labour Organisation (ILO) voiced concerns 
about the non-conformity of certain provisions with its basic standards, in particular as 
regards the right to strike. The draft law on  social dialogue is st ill under parliamentary 
examination and bipartite social dialogue still needs to be strengthened.
 The implementation 
of the Decent Work country programme c ontinued: projects over the reporting period 
included those on social dialogue, gender an d access to employment of persons with 
disabilities. 
EN 10   EN In the area of social protection , Moldova continued to increase the number of social 
assistants and to train them over the reporting period. The number of beneficiaries of the new 
cash-benefits system of social assistance rose from January to June 2009 to reach more than 
16.000 persons. There is a need to allocate sufficien t funding to the social sector and to set up 
a mechanism of data collection. The cost-c alculation model also needs improvement.  
The Government decision to introduce a 20% indexation coefficient for some pension 
categories entered into force in April 2009. It  is expected to cover approximately 620 000 
persons. The 2009-2013 governmental programme  on “European integration: freedom, 
democracy, welfare” as well as the 2009-2011 progr amme for “stabilisati on and recovery of 
the economy” attach particular importance to the unification of the pension system and the 
drafting of the relevant strategy.  
The number of beneficiaries of social allocati ons for child birth incr eased in September 2009 
and the 2010 Law on state social assurance (ado pted in December 2009) provides for a further 
increase. Overall, the administrative and fina ncial capacities of the Ministry of Social 
Protection should be incr eased and the funding of the social  protection scheme needs to be 
sustained. 
The shortcomings of inter-ministerial coordi nation account for the overall slow progress on 
the sustainable development  agenda in Moldova. The inter-ministerial Committee for 
Sustainable Development and Poverty Reduction, created in  2008, did not meet in 2009.  
Additionally, the Committee on Strategic Planning was established to ensure an integrated 
approach and more efficient coordination of stra tegic planning including the sector priorities 
for development, at the national level.  
4. TRADE -RELATED ISSUES , MARKET AND REGULATORY REFORM  
Despite a 30% decline in bilateral trade  in goods between the EU and Moldova  in 2009, 
mainly due to the impact of the financial cris is, the EU remained Moldova’s most important 
trade partner. Moldovan exports to the EU d eclined by 31.1%, while EU exports to Moldova 
decreased by 27.7%. Moldova’s tr ade balance with the EU rema ins substantially negative 
accounting for EUR 718 million in 2009. The EU Autonomous Trade Preferences (ATPs) 
granted to Moldova since March 2008 proved to have a positive impact. Continued efforts are 
however needed to take full advantage of the available quotas in particular for selected 
agricultural products.  
An independent feasibility st udy on the possibility of a future establishment of a deep and 
comprehensive free trade area  (DCFTA) between the EU and Moldova was finalised in July 
2009. It concluded that while a DCFTA would br ing long-lasting benefits to the Moldovan 
economy and society, it also require s careful preparation for Moldova  to be able to reap the 
benefits of a DCFTA and to withstand the inhe rent competitive pressure without suffering 
disproportionate adjustment costs.  In particular, it will be important to ensure that the 
regulatory approximation in trade-related area s takes place. In December 2009, the EU and 
Moldova reaffirmed their shared objective to  establish a DCFTA, when the relevant 
conditions are met, and expressed their commitmen t to make progress in line with the agreed 
set of steps towards that objective.  
Moldova is working on export diversification with a EU a ssistance project aiming among 
other at improving the international competitiv eness of the enterprise sector, including 
through potential market analyses and accomp anying information activities; increasing the 
number of exporting companies; stimulating fore ign direct investment and strengthening the 
EN 11   EN Moldovan Investment and Export Promotion Orga nisation and the Minist ry of Economy. In 
September 2009 the Ministry of Economy deci ded to revoke the qua lity certification 
procedure covering imported batches of non-alc oholic beverages, milk, foodstuffs, beer and 
cosmetics, which was introduced in March 2009. An amendment to the provisions of the Environment Fund Law was submitted to the Parliame nt in order to establish the size of the 
ecological tax on the eco-d eclaration at the import of products packed in plastic recipients and 
in plastic coated paperboard. This amendmen t was submitted in order to collect ecological 
taxes in a way more in conformity with the principles of national treatment (GATT article 
III).Moldova also abolished the state trademar k for exported alcoholic beverages. Concerning 
the import of meat, a Government decision of N ovember 2009 foresees the elimination as of 
February 2010 of the existing limitations. A tr ansitional regime was set up for the period 
between December 2009 and January 2010. 
The Customs  Service of the Republic of Moldova (MDCS) is continuing the implementation 
of its 2009-2011 Institutional Development Plan  based on EU standards. In August 2009 the 
Government approved the information syst em “Integrated Tari ff for Moldova” which 
provides operators with on-line information in Moldovan on the classification of goods, 
applied rates of customs duties and other applicable legislation. The service became available 
just after the reporti ng period, in January 2010. During th e reporting period the regulations 
necessary for the use in Moldova of the ATA carnet were prepared
. Since January 2009, the 
MDCS applies at all border cr ossing points a new information system that allows for the 
exchange of information among the agencies whic h are part of the sing le window system. The 
introduction of the system also allowed for a mo re targeted use of the Pre-arrival Information 
Exchange System and more developed analysis of the information exchanged.  In January 
2009 the MDCS modified the organisational struct ure of its mobile teams in accordance with 
the EUBAM recommendations. A new Code of Admi nistrative Offences entered into force in 
May 2009. Among others, it introduces amendments  to the provisions on seizures. In July 
2009, the Government approved the Code of ethi cs of customs officers based on the Arusha 
convention. 
The implementation of horizontal legisla tion progressed in the area of free movement of 
goods and technical regulations , notably on general safety of products and liability for 
defective products, and in the set ting up quality infrastructure. Th e final selection of priority 
sectors is foreseen in 2010 w ith the support of an EU tech nical assistance project. In 2009 
Moldova continued to implement a National Pl an for Legal Approximation. Amendments to 
the legal framework and methodologies are foreseen in 2010. The draft Law on market 
surveillance is under preparation. Staff trainings  in market surveillance were organised.  
Moldova continued the process of  gradual approximation with EU sanitary and phyto-
sanitary  (SPS) rules which is of major importance, inter alia , in the context of a future 
DCFTA. In 2009, the Sanitary-Veterinary Agency fo r safety of products of animal origin and 
the General Inspectorate for phytosanitary survei llance and seeds control, both established in 
2008, became operational. Moldov a further strengthened labor atories and continued to 
implement its animal identific ation system. Moldova continue d to work towards a better 
functioning of and coordination among th e SPS related bodies. Moldova started 
implementation of a revised acti on plan on animal health a nd food safety, following a Food 
and Veterinary Office (FVO) 2008 inspection visit. On the basis of the Moldovan 2009 
residue monitoring plans and the results of the 2008 monitoring plan for honey, Moldova was 
relisted for exports of honey to the EU.  
EN 12   EN As regards  business climate , the Regulatory Reform working group, composed of public and 
private sector members, holds weekly meetings  and reviews barriers to  business development. 
The finalisation of a regulatory reform action plan is on-going. The one-stop shop concept is 
fully implemented since November 2009 with te n regional centres esta blished. The draft law 
on authorization of construc tion is under preparation. 
The Joint Stock company law  is being revised. The electronic licensing register of companies 
is available online since January 2009. Mold ova continued implementing the Corporate 
Governance Code as well as the laws on Jo int-stock Companies and on Limited Liability 
Companies. However, as reported last year, to  ensure a satisfactory level of transparency, 
existing rules on disclosure requirements for jo int-stock companies, in vestors and the stock 
exchange need to be efficiently enforced. Amendments to the bankruptcy law are underway, with adoption expected in 2010. 
Moldova continued to strengthen the s upervisory framework in the field of financial services . 
The main elements of the banking supervision st ructures follow largely the Basel I principles 
for effective banking supervision. Some amendments to banking regulations, notably in the field of information disclosure were ma de in July 2009. Moldova has continued the 
implementation of the IMF’s Financial Sector  Assessment Programme recommendations. The 
National Commission on the Fina ncial Market, as a unified supervision authority for non-
banking financial services, took over licensing activities in October 2009. Also in October 
2009, Moldova became a member of the Internati onal Association of Insurance Supervisors 
(IAIS). Adoption of a Strategy for the Develo pment of the Non-Banking Financial Sector 
2010-2011 is expected in 2010. Setting up a modern  information management system for 
more efficient supervision is on-going. A draft Law on Securities Markets is under 
preparation. Some insurance laws  are also under preparation.  
No new development can be reported on  movement of capital and current payments . 
As regards free movement of persons,  Moldova continued to negotiate agreements on 
coordination of social security  with Greece, Italy and Spain. 
 
Other key issues 
The ongoing reform of the State Tax Service based on the strategic plan for 2006-2010, as 
well as of the National Deve lopment Strategy 2008-2011, progres sed. The web-portal for the 
interaction between taxpayers and tax servi ce continued to be developed and a bar-code 
information system and an e-statements syst em were developed and are now functional. 
Notwithstanding the measures taken in 2008 to  simplify and accelerate the procedures for 
VAT refund and the increase in the budget allocations to  that end, foreign and local investors 
still face difficulties with regard to VAT ref unds. Further tax reform measures are needed to 
make the investment climate in Moldova more favourable.  
The drafting of a new law on Competition  is still ongoing; it is expected to be finalised by 
2011. This revision of the 2000 Competition Law is essential in order to establish a modern 
competition policy framework in Moldova. Th e draft law on state aid is still under 
examination by the Government. The Agency for the Protection of Competition (NAPC) 
organised public seminars to promote comp etition culture among economic operators. A New 
twinning project for the NAPC is planned for 2010 a nd is likely to focus in  part on anti-trust 
issues. 
EN 13   EN Moldova continued to complement its legislation on intellectual property rights  with the 
entry into force in November 2009 of improved pr ocedures and patents. It also completed the 
accession to international treaties with the ra tification, in March 2009, of the Singapore Treaty 
on the law of trademarks. However, the new la w on copyrights and relate d rights is not yet 
adopted. While the new Code on Administrative Contraventions which entered into force in 
May 2009 provides for administrativ e sanctions, enforcement of intellectual property rights 
on the ground and at court level remains an issue of concern, as  does the high level of piracy 
and counterfeiting. In addition, further training a nd awareness raising activities are needed to 
involve stakeholders in the e ffective protection of intellectua l property rights. The National 
Commission on intellectual property, in charge of  coordinating these issues, has not yet met. 
In April 2009 Moldova sent an o fficial request to ope n negotiations of an  extension agreement 
with the European Patent Office (EPO). The i ssue of Moldova’s membership to the Eurasian 
Patent Organisation needs to be resolved befo re the start of negotiations with the EPO. 
Implementation of the 2007  public procurement law as well as targeted awareness raising 
activities continued over the re porting period. The legislation wa s further complemented with 
the adoption in May 2009 of the regulation on c onducting public procurement of design work 
services and, in September 2009, of the regul ation on the purchase of medicines and other 
medical products for health systems. In Ma y 2009 the Government approved the technical 
concept of e-procurement which is in use in five  selected pilot public in stitutions. The Public 
Procurement Agency is responsible since May 2009 for the State register of public procurement.  
As regards statistics , the draft law on the 2012 gene ral population census is pending 
parliamentary approval. 
The National strategy for development of auditing and accounting  for 2008-2011 is still 
under preparation. As reported last year, the new accounting law provides for the compulsory 
use of international financia l reporting standards (IFRS) for listed and public interest 
companies as from January 2009. Further efforts are needed to increa se the capacity of 
regulatory agencies in charge of enforcin g accounting standards and to establish an 
independent oversight board of auditors. No progress can be reported on the adoption of the 
revised Audit law. 
On enterprise policy , the Economic Stabilisation and Recovery Programme (2009-2011), 
adopted in November 2009, foresees activitie s in support of Small and Medium Sized 
Enterprises (SMEs) particularly in rural areas . This includes reduction of administrative and 
fiscal burden on firms, and fac ilitation of access to financing for the launch, development and 
recovery of businesses. The Institutional Development Plan for 2009-2011, prepared by the 
Ministry of Economy, also foresees a number of actions in support of SMEs. The National 
Programme for the Economic Empowerment of Yout h is expected to intensify the process of 
granting loans to finance private projects of young entrepreneurs with a grant component. In 
terms of public-private dialogue, the State Co mmission for Entreprene urial Activity includes 
both private and public sector members and provides a forum for c onsultation about the 
planned reforms with a view to improving the business climate. 
Moldova started working on amendments to the law on consumer protection  with a view to 
enabling financial public support to consumer’s organisations. Further efforts are nonetheless 
still needed to empower consumers and suppor t the activities of c onsumer organisations. 
EN 14   EN With regard to the management of public finances , the amendments prop osed by the Ministry 
of Finance to the existing law on budget systems and processes entered into force in January 
2009, allowing for improved accountability in th e management of public funds. Work on 
budget preparation and implementation methodologies  progressed but the Mi nistry decided to 
suspend work on the new law on public sector  financial management and accountability, 
opting instead to implement further reforms within existing legislation. While progress was noted on implementing a new budget execution me thodology, its further development may be 
limited by weak implementation capacity incl uding staffing and management within the 
Treasury. 
In the area of public internal financial control , the Ministry of Finance developed national 
standards on internal control for the public sect or which entered into force in June 2009 while 
its Central Harmonization Unit defined methodol ogical instruments for financial management 
and implemented pilot audits. The latter also pr epared a phased plan for the establishment of 
internal audit units across central public authorities. Training and professional development activities focused on capacity-building for the ne wly created audit units.  In order to ensure 
successful outcome in this regard, attention would need to be paid to organisational 
management, customised training and co mmunication. The EU and the World Bank 
commented upon a revised draft law which rema ins to be submitted to the Cabinet of 
Ministers. 
The new law on Court of Accounts entered into force in January 2009 alongside an external 
audit  manual. In addition, the Court implemente d six INTOSAI standard audit categories 
including general standards, audit planning, performance and reporting.  
5. 
COOPERATION ON JUSTICE , FREEDOM AND SECURITY  
Migration issues (legal and illegal migration, readmission, visa, and asylum)  
At the December 2009 Cooperation Council, the EU  and Moldova agreed  to set up a visa 
dialogue in 2010 examining the conditions for visa-f ree travel of Moldovan citizens to the EU 
as a long-term goal, taking into account the EU Global Approach to Migration and keeping in 
mind that gradual steps towards full visa li beralisation would be taken, provided that 
conditions for well-managed and secure mobility are in place. 
The EU-Moldova Mobility Partnership, the Visa  Facilitation Agreement and the Readmission 
Agreement contribute to improve migration management  in the country. By the end of 2009 
the Common Visa Application Centre in Ch isinau which was opened in 2007 was issuing 
visas for ten EU Member States and two othe r Schengen states. In 20 09, the Centre issued 
6,918 visas, compared to 7,487 in 2008, a slight  decrease linked to the decrease of 
applications. 
In November 2009, Moldova concluded an ag reement for small distance cross-border 
movement with Romania, allowi ng visa-free stays of up to three months within a 50-km 
border strip in Romania for Mol dovans resident for at least a year in the corresponding 50-km 
zone inside Moldova. The agreement came into effect after the reporting period.  
A new Law on asylum  entered into force in March 2 009. It is largely in line with 
international and EU standards, providing, inter alia , a complementary form of protection and 
access to the government refugee determination procedure for asylum-seekers applying for protection at the state border. It also provides for the treatment of asylum-seekers, refugees 
and beneficiaries of humanitarian  protection in line w ith international st andards. Since 2007 a 
EN 15   EN Regional Protection Programme is implemente d in Moldova, aiming at reinforcing the 
protection of refugees and asylum seekers. In  2009 activities focussed on the improvement of 
the local integration of persons  recognised as refugees.  
In April 2009 Moldova introduced  a visa obligation on Romanian  citizens. This was removed 
in September 2009. 
The Temporary Migrant Accomm odation Centre (MAC) was upgrad ed and, as of June 2009, 
third country nationals illegally entering or residing in Moldova were placed there until a 
decision was pronounced. In November 2009, the r eadmission agreement clause on return of 
third country nationals entered into force.  
In the area of border management , the Border Guard Service continued implementation of 
its three year (2009-11) institu tional development plan focusing on staff training and the 
optimization of its structure and management. The creation of integrated border control 
systems, the upgrading of logistics and infras tructure and risk analysis methods were 
particularly pursued with the support of EUBAM.  The latter organised specialised training at 
local level on issues, such as intelligence ga thering, document forgery and vehicle search. The 
first meeting of a working group on the deve lopment of joint patrolling on the Moldovan-
Ukrainian border took place in Septembe r 2009 while the Nikony Jo int Border Control 
Operation was implemented with EUBAM suppor t, leading to incr eased detection of 
smuggling, illegal migration and customs fra ud. In addition, the Border Guard Service 
improved its capacity to detect falsified visas and passports. Mo ldova continues to participate 
actively in the Söderköping Process. 
In November 2009, two agreements between Mo ldova and Romania were signed - on local 
border traffic and on border crossing points. Moldova continued the implementation of a 
project to establish an  on-line connection between the borde r crossing points and the Interpol 
database. To date, 17 border crossing points have an on-line Interpol connection. The 
demilitarisation process of the Border Guard Serv ice continued with plans to be completed by 
the end of 2011. By replacing c onscripts with professional bord er guards, the number of the 
latter will be substantially decreased. However, lack of ad equate resources may lead to 
postponing the demilitarisation objective. In 2009, 400 border guards were newly recruited 
and trained on the basis of training progr ammes developed by FRONTEX. The lack of 
adequate financial resources poses serious challe nges to the process and may lead to delays.  
With regard to the fight against organised crime  and the trafficking in human beings , the 
National Committee for Combating Trafficking in  Human Beings initiated an evaluation of 
the first two years (2008-9) of the implementation of  the National Action Plan. In April 2009, 
the Government adopted rules on the registra tion of abandoned childr en or children whose 
parents or guardians are employed abroad. The Government launched an information 
campaign in schools against trafficking. The quality of criminal investigations in the field of 
trafficking reportedly improved: law enforcement agencies succeeded in dismantling 38 criminal networks and significan tly increasing the number of re gistered criminal cases for 
trafficking offences. Implementing rules to th e Law on protection of wi tnesses were adopted. 
However, the number of victims remains high w ith much greater efforts required to fully 
implement the National Action Plan. Draft ag reements on dealing with unaccompanied 
minors and victims of trafficking were devel oped but not yet signed with Italy and the 
Russian Federation. Trafficking in human bei ngs, including trafficking-related corruption, 
remains a matter of concern which should be fu rther addressed both in terms of prevention 
and prosecution. In May 2009, Moldova ratifie d the Council of Europe Convention on 
Cybercrime which entered into force in September 2009.  
EN 16   EN With regard to the fight against drugs , Moldova started planning th e new National anti-Drugs 
Strategy for 2010-2017 in coordination with a ll interested statut ory authorities and 
stakeholders while continuing to implement the existing National Strategy and Action Plan 
for the period 2007-2009. The Anti-D rugs Unit of the Ministry of  the Interior achieved some 
success in drugs seizures notably  of hashish, opiates and synt hetic drugs as compared to 
figures returned for 2008. However, drug tra fficking and its links with organised crime 
remains an issue of serious concern requiri ng an intensification of inter-agency law 
enforcement cooperation both nationally and regionally. As was the case in 2008, 
comprehensive prevention and harm reduction actions for drug addicts remain to be 
developed in the context of the implementati on of an integrated approach towards drugs 
demand and supply reduction of drugs. 
With regard to the fight against money laundering , Moldova continued implementation of 
the national control regime based upon the 40 plus 9 Special Recommendations of the 
Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and in line with Council of Europe Moneyval 
recommendations issued in 2008. Due dilig ence, KYC (‘know your customer’) and KYB 
(‘know your business’) practices continued implementation within  financial institutions and 
reporting agencies, in line with statutory obligations. 
With regard to police and judicial cooperation in 2009, EUBAM with the cooperation of 
Frontex, OLAF and SECI (Southeast European  Cooperation Initiative) supported the Nikoniy 
Joint Border Control Operation to improve cooperation between the Moldovan and Ukrainian police forces on fighting cross-border crime and illegal migration. In addition, the Moldovan 
police pursued cooperation with Ukraine on crimin al investigations in the framework of a 
permanent Joint Working Group on illegal migration and trafficking in human beings, established in late 2008.  
6. T
RANSPORT , ENERGY , ENVIRONMENT , THE INFORMATION SOCIETY , RESEARCH AND 
DEVELOPMENT  
Moldova still experiences difficu lties in implementing its land transport  infrastructure 
strategy. Although the Land Transport Infrastructu re Strategy (in line with the commitments 
taken towards International Financing Institutio ns) foresees that some EUR 36.5 million from 
the 2009 budget should be allocated for road  maintenance, the 2009 budget only allocated 
some EUR 13.5 million. The Road Fund law was amended in December 2009, so that by 
2012 80% of the excises on imported fuel will go  to the Road Fund. Moreover, since January 
2010 the excise taxes on petrol and diesel were  increased by 50% and taxes for road users 
were increased by 11% up to 178% for different categories of vehicles. As a result of the 
amendments made, the Road Fund increased from some EUR 13.5 million in 2009 to some 
EUR 32.7 million in 2010. Moldova is adopting its  regulatory framework in line with 
international standards both as regards the in troduction of digital tachographs and rules on 
driving times and rest periods. Road safety re mains an issue of concern, in particular as 
regards drivers’ trai ning and certification.  
In the aviation sector, Moldova  is a potential ca ndidate for particip ation in the Common 
Aviation Area to be gradually integrated into the EU internal aviation market. As other Eastern neighbouring countries, Moldova signed a working arra ngement with the European 
Aviation Safety Agency. This is an important step towards integrati ng Moldova into the EU 
civil aviation safety system and should a llow Moldova to strengthen its regulatory 
cooperation with EASA and progress toward s convergence with safety standards. 
EN 17   EN In the maritime sector, Moldova continued with  its regulatory alignmen t with international 
standards. Moldova's first pa ssenger port in Giurgiulesti, wa s inaugurated in March 2009. In 
addition to this passenger terminal, the por t has progressed slowly. Upgrades of an 
international free port and specialized cargo, contai ner, constructions materials, oil and other 
terminals are ongoing. The complex is also part of  larger Industrial Free Zone complex, which 
allows intermodal shipping. Trade/ business entities prof it from the sea, ri ver, rail and land 
transport interchange options at a geographically strategi c point where Romania (EU), 
Moldova and Ukraine meet. 
Energy- dependent Moldova took some steps to further implement its energy strategy. 
Additional financial means are necessary to fully and timely implement the strategy. The 
energy sector continued to face financial difficulties due to accumulated debts, which Moldova continued to address. The economic  and recovery programme 2009-2011, adopted 
by the Government in November 2009, provides  for measures to attract more private 
investments to the energy sector. 
In April 2009, negotiations were concluded on the Energy Community Treaty. In December 
2009 the Energy Community ministerial approved the accession which will be effective 
subject to the gas law complying with the EU acquis and subsequent ratification by the 
parties. In December 2009, the Parliament adopted new gas and electricity laws. The laws will 
contribute to strengthening the independence of the energy re gulator. Complete compliance 
with the EU legislation relevant for the Ener gy Community will need to be ensured by the 
deadlines indicated in the Protocol of accession. In 2009, Moldova continued to improve bill collection rates. In November 2009, a study on heat  tariffs for Chisinau was completed. As of 
January 2010, Moldova increased elect ricity, gas and heat tariffs.  
Moldova continued to study the conditions under wh ich it could join, together with Ukraine, 
the interconnected electricity networks of c ontinental Europe (ENTSO-e, European Network 
of Transmission System Operators for Electr icity, the successor of UCTE). In 2009, Moldova 
progressed on energy infrastructure projects fore seen in its energy strategy, in particular as 
regards the gasification programme of the Nort h, the commissioning of the main gas pipeline 
Balti-Ungheni and the electricit y interconnection Gotesti-Falciu  (Romania). It pursued the 
rehabilitation of electricity networks, thereby further reduci ng network losses. It studied 
possibilities for a gas storage facility and provided investme nts for a gas pipeline to 
Giurgulesti port. Moldova continued the evaluati on of assets of three Combined Heat and 
Power Plants and the modernisation costs of CET-2 thermal power plant. Moldova continued 
to prepare the future construction of  an oil refinery in Giurgiulesti. 
Moldova pursued work towards a new energy effi ciency law and an energy efficiency action 
plan. It still has to establish a renewable/ energy efficiency revolving fund. Moldova adopted, 
on the basis of the renewable energy law,  a tariff methodology for renewable energy and 
biofuels as well as rules on guara nteeing the origin of electricity  generated from these sources. 
It initiated studies for the construction of ‘mini’ combined heat and power plants to be fuelled with renewable energy sources. In view of r eaching the renewable en ergy/energy efficiency 
objectives of its energy stra tegy, Moldova needs to step up efforts in this area. 
In the field of climate change , Moldova submitted its
 Second National Communication to the 
UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.  It contains information on national 
circumstances, priorities and envisaged steps such as mitigation measures to implement the Convention. It also includes a greenhouse ga s inventory for 1990 – 2005, projections on 
emissions, results of vulnerability and adap tation assessment, information on technology 
EN 18   EN transfer and training needs as well as a summ ary on financial and capa city needs. Sectoral 
action plans on mitigation and adaptation for electrical and thermal power, agriculture, transport, industry, forestry, waste management a nd health sectors were also prepared but not 
yet formally adopted. A national climate strategy  will be prepared on the basis of the SNC. 
Steps were taken to update the composition of the National Commission on implementation of 
the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Kyoto Protocol. Moldova  
continued to prepare Clean Development Mechan ism (CDM) projects, even if no new projects 
were registered at UN le vel, leaving the overall  number of registered projects at four. The 
European Commission continued to support Mo ldova to implement the Kyoto Protocol. 
Moldova associated itself with the Copenhage n Accord and provided information on actions 
that it will implement.  
In the field of environment,  the legislative framework for e nvironmental policy continues to 
require further development, in particular as  regards implementing legislation. Amendments 
to the law on funding of nature  protection areas as well as  governmental decisions on 
polychlorinated biphenyls were adopted . A new environment framework law and laws on 
environmental impact assessment, water and wa ste management are still under preparation. A 
convergence plan on water was elaborated. Work  continued to develop a national programme 
on the ecological network and on strategies fo r the management of waste and chemicals. 
Moldova, together with the other Danube count ries, adopted the first Danube river basin 
management plan, several sub-basin flood act ion plans and a Mini sterial Declaration 
committing to establish a Danube climate cha nge adaptation strategy and ban phosphates 
2012 – 2015.
 It also continued to take steps together  with Romania and Ukraine to prepare for 
the implementation of cross-border river basin management in the Danube Delta sub-basin. 
Continued attention is required to implement existing strategies and plans and to further 
enhance monitoring and enforcement. 
A governmental decision was adopt ed at the end of 2009 to recruit further staff to the 
Ministry of Environment, allowing the number of staff to reach 51 people. The “Apele 
Moldovei” water agency as well as the Wate r Supply and Sanitation Projects Implementation 
Unit were transferred under the Jurisdiction of the Ministry  of Environment. Further 
strengthening of administrative capacity at all levels of the country remains a major challenge. Coordination between author ities continues to require  attention. Some activities were taken 
promote the integration of environmental consid erations into other policy sectors such as 
energy and transport. 
Involvement of civil society re presentatives continues to requi re attention. Procedures and 
consultation with the public in the  context of environmental assessments continue to require 
particular attention . REC-Moldova continued its activities,  although facing administrative and 
financial challenges. 
Moldova made no significant pr ogress in the ratification of  remaining relevant UNECE 
protocols
1. Furthermore, the implementation of seve ral already ratified agreements requires 
particular attention. While Mo ldova participated in the EU Water In itiative, including a 
national policy dialogue, as well as in the Inte rnational Commission for the Protection of the 
                                                 
1 The Protocol on Strategic Environmental Assessment to the UNECE Convention on Environmental 
Impact Assessment in a Tran s-boundary Context, and the Protocol to Abate Acidification, Eutrophication and 
Ground-level Ozone to the UNECE Convention on Long-Range Trans-boundary Air Pollution. 
EN 19   EN Danube River, it did not however  participate in the meeting of  the Danube - Black Sea Task 
Force (DABLAS).  
Cooperation and information exchange took place between the European Commission and 
Moldova, including on th e 2001 national concept of enviro nment policy, water, forestry, 
waste management, environmental data, nature protection and air qual ity. An EU financing 
agreement to grant EUR 45 million sector bu dget support for water issues was signed in 
August. 
Moldova and the EU continued cl ose cooperation in the field of civil protection.  The 
Community Civil Protection  Mechanism was mobilised in January 2009 to alleviate the 
consequences of the Ukraine/Russia gas crisis, as already mentioned in last year’s report. 
Moldova prepared a draft Concept on the em ergency call number 112. It also submitted  a 
request to conclude a bilate ral Administrative Arrangement with the relevant Commission 
service to strengthen cooperation on  emergencies as well as in th e areas of disaster prevention 
and preparedness. Moldova participated in  the December 2009 launch event of the EaP 
flagship initiative on prevention on, prepar edness of and response to man-made-made and 
natural hazards.  
In the area of information society , the National Regulatory Agency for Electronic 
Communications and Information Technology (AN RCETI) adopted during the course of 2009 
a number of important decisions in order to de velop the regulatory framework for electronic 
communications, in particular the "Regulations  on Identification and Analysis of Relevant 
Electronic Communications Market " and "Designation of Providers  with Significant Market 
Power". The new normative act sets forth the methods and criteria for identification of 
relevant markets, as well as the rules to be applied by the Agency in conducting market analysis and determining significant market  power on a particular relevant market. 
Subsequently the ‘Regulations on Interconnection’ decision was adopted. This lays down the 
principles and procedure of interconnection between public electronic communications 
networks providers, including access to the lo cal loop and the publica tion of a Reference 
Unbundling Offer. The Regulation defines forth obligations for providers designated by the 
Agency as having significant market power (t ransparency and non-disc rimination, making 
publicly available reference interconnection offers, cost orientation, etc). This was 
complemented by a decision of ANRCETI setting out  the list of relevant markets susceptible 
for ex ante  regulation. 
ANRCETI transformed the licences held befo re June 2008 (under the old licensing regime) 
into general authorisations without time limit. In the course of 2009, several additional authorisations were granted for the provisi on of electronic communi cations services and 
networks. A new 3G mobile operator was entered in the register of providers and will start 
providing services in 2010. ANRCE TI carried out several importa nt public consultations on 
the draft Universal Service Regulations incl uding the conditions and the procedures of 
Universal Service provision, on the cost acco unting methodology for assessing the cost of 
interconnection and access servi ces, on a draft decision on the identification of relevant 
markets susceptible to ex-ante regulation, and on the draft pro cedure to licence the Use of 
Scarce Resources for Public Electronic Communications Services. 
Investment in research  remains relatively moderate. Howeve r, Moldova continues to increase 
the number of applications submitted to the 7th Framework Programme (FP7), and some 16 research groups were successful in their ap plications, as of Nove mber 2009, receiving over 
EUR 877,000 of EU funding, with particular su ccess under the 'international cooperation' and 
'Marie Curie' calls for proposals. The overall number of applications and successful proposals 
EN 20   EN is still comparatively low. A TAIEX-funded information event to encourage SMEs to 
participate in FP7 was held in October 2009. 
Following Moldova's request in 2008 to become associated to the Framework Programme, the 
Academy of Sciences (which is responsib le for implementation of FP7 in Moldova) 
developed a comprehensive action plan to prepare the research community for the 
opportunities offered by FP7 associati on as an initial step to enha nce the role of research and 
innovation in the development of the country, with  a view to tightening links with European 
partners and developing R&D capaci ties. In particular, the awaren ess-raising exercises, travel 
grants and training actions propos ed, together with the recent nomination of an increased 
number of FP7 contact points, will assist the Moldovan research community in becoming 
more familiar with the program me, leading potentially to an in creased number of successful 
applications. 
Moldova continues to participate actively in the S&T International Cooperation Network for 
Eastern European and Central Asian countries (FP7 IncoNet EECA project), which aims to 
support a bi-regional policy di alogue on science and tech nology and to increase EECA 
participation in FP7. In the context of this  project, the Academy of Sciences hosted a 
workshop on human genomics and related issu es, in April 2009. The results from this 
workshop were provided to the European Commi ssion as input for the definition of potential 
research topics for future FP7 work programmes. 
7. PEOPLE -TO-PEOPLE CONTACTS , EDUCATION AND HEALTH  
In the field of education  and in line with its commitment under the Bologna Process, 
Moldova moved towards greater harmonization w ith EU standards in higher education with 
the implementation of the second cycle (Masters level). Reform s undertaken to date also 
include the development of a first version of the National Qualifications Framework as well 
as implementation of ECTS and the Bologn a Process Diploma Supplement. The latter, 
providing for greater transpar ency on higher educa tion qualifications, was implemented in 
Moldovan universities and higher education institutions during the course of 2009 and is 
issued to students free of charge. 
In November 2009, the new Government reject ed the Education Code, which had twice 
passed through Parliament, as it did not consider the former in line with modern educational 
standards and trends. In addition, doctoral pr ogrammes still remain regulated by the Science 
and Innovation Code and the existing Law of Education. In terms of implemented reforms, there is a need reconsider and improve the newly-established quality assurance mechanisms as well as to build capacity at all levels of the educational system. 
In the area of vocational training , reforms continued to orient training provision in line with 
labour market demands in the framework of  the 2007 National Strategy. EU assistance 
focused on adapting training content to th e new context presented by the EU-Moldova 
Mobility Partnership with a particular focus on transparency of qualifications in construction 
and agriculture. In this rega rd, two technical workshops on occupational profiles in the 
context of migration and recogni tion of prior learning (RPL) we re organised from March to 
September 2009 in cooperation with the Minist ries of Education and Labour, the National 
Employment Agency and the European Tr aining Foundation. Moldovan experts also 
benefited from study visits and seminars on ap prenticeships, qualifications and RPL. Social 
dialogue in education and training remain s at an embryonic stage and would require 
EN 21   EN substantial work and investment to ensure that future traini ng provision meets future labour 
market demands. 
Higher education reform continued to benefi t from participation in Tempus with two 
Moldovan projects selected under the second Call for Proposals for Tempus IV on improving 
cooperation between higher educa tion institutions and social partners. Te mpus remained a 
driving force for institutional reform in hi gher education throughout th e reporting period with 
significant impact on staff development, mode rn teaching practices and materials and 
university governance. Future challenges under the Bologna Process include the development 
of national qualification frameworks as well as and coherent and efficient quality assurance 
procedures. 
Ten Moldovan students and one scholar we re awarded scholarships for Erasmus Mundus 
Masters Courses under Action 1 while student and academic mobility was further enhanced 
with the selection of a part nership in Action 2 involving six Moldovan institutions providing 
67 grants. Moldovan universities are encour aged to continue submitting high-level 
applications for projects unde r the Jean Monnet programme. 
The Ministry of Health published a study on yout h health and development, highlighting the 
challenges faced by young people in health, edu cation, social protec tion and family life. 
Youth organisations and young peopl e continued to benefit from pa rticipation in the Youth in 
Action Programme with a particular focus on  voluntary service actio ns, youth exchanges, 
training and networking. An increase in the number of exchanges for young people and youth 
workers was noted in 2009. Implementation of the National Youth Action Plan needs to be 
budgeted across all relevant sectors. 
The Ministry of Culture  organised national training for muse um specialists in the context of 
the implementation of the 2005 UNESCO Conventi on on the Protection and Promotion of the 
Diversity of Cultural Expressions. As stated in 2008, the independent culture sector remains 
chronically under-funded and margin alized in terms of influen ce on cultural policy-making. 
Equal opportunities in terms of access to state funding for all cultural producers active in the 
field would be welcomed. Moldovan organisations  participated in the Call for Proposals of 
the 2009 ENP Special Action under the Culture Programme. 
Moldova sustained health  sector reform, which aims at more equitable access to services, 
increased health insurance c overage, better quality, enhan ced primary health care and 
prevention and control of both communicab le and non-communicable diseases. The 
Government included health as one of the focus sectors into its stabilisation and recovery 
programme 2009-2011, which was adopted in N ovember 2009. The reform of the health 
sector benefitted from EU s ector budget support. In 2009, Moldova adopted laws on state 
fostering of public health and on state oversight  of public health addresses emergencies. The 
laws address, inter alia , new health threats and emergenc ies. Moldova pursued the fight 
against HIV/AIDS and tubercul osis. Moldova continued its pa rticipation in the European 
Commission’s HIV/AIDS Think Tank. It took several measures to prevent and combat 
influenza A (H1N1) including by adopting an ac tion plan and strengthening surveillance of 
communicable diseases. In 2009, in the context of the influenza A (H1N1) epidemic, the 
European Commission and Moldova established communication channels for the exchange of 
epidemiological information in the case of hea lth crisis situations. As reported last year, 
Moldova acceded, in February 2009, to the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. In 
October 2009, Moldova participated  in the newly established EU enlarged health information 
committee. 
EN 22   EN 8. FINANCIAL COOPERATION – 2009  KEY FACTS AND FIGURES  
The European Neighbourhood and Partnership In strument (ENPI) bilateral envelope for 
Moldova under the National Indicative Programme 2007- 2010 amounted to EUR 209.7 
million. The programme’s objectives, in line with the EU-Moldova Action Plan, are pursued through three priorities: (1) Support for Democratic develo pment / Good Governance; (2) 
Support for Regulatory Reform and Administra tive Capacity Building and (3) Support for 
Poverty Reduction. 
The implementation of the measures covered by the 2007 and 2008 Annual Action 
Programmes is underway. The 2007 sector budget support in the social protection area was 
completed through the third disbursement in De cember 2009. Important results were achieved 
through this programme as seve ral tens of thousands of poor  Moldovans have started to 
receive a cash-benefit support of  up to EUR 30 monthly per pe rson, which had an important 
anti-poverty effect, especially for rural familie s with several children and the elderly urban 
poor population. Other concrete ach ievements in 2009 included th e provision of new medical 
equipment for 100 primary health clinics, and th e refurbishment of several day-care centres 
for children and the elderly peopl e. Four food safety laborator ies have also been provided 
with modern equipment. EUR 33  million have been paid to the Government in the framework 
of on-going social assistance, health (2008 pr ogramme) and water ( 2009 programme) Sector 
Budget Support (SBS) programmes.  
In 2009, the European Commission programmed assi stance for a total amount of EUR 57 
million under the ENPI2009 Annual Action Programm e (AAP). It focuses on two priorities: 
support for Regulatory Reform and Administra tive Capacity Building (including twinning) 
for the sum of EUR 7 million and support for Po verty Reduction. Within the latter a SBS an 
operation of EUR 50 million was provided in the sub-priority "Support to Municipal 
Infrastructure", specifically dealing with the water. 
An indicative financial envelope of EUR 273. 1 million will be available to support co-
operation activities in Moldova in peri od 2011-2013, based on a European Commission 
decision of March 2010.  
In addition to the bilateral allocation, Mol dova also benefited from cooperation activities 
financed under the ENPI multi-country and re gional programmes, as well as horizontal 
thematic programmes, such as  the European Instrument fo r Democracy and Human Rights 
(EIDHR) and DCI Thematic programmes: Migration and Asylum and the ENRTP (environment and sustainable management of  natural resources including energy)  
Moldova is also participating in two ENPI Cr oss-Border Cooperation (CBC) programmes: the 
Black Sea Basin and the Romania/Moldova/Ukrai ne (with the respective allocations of EUR 
17.6 million and EUR 126 million for the peri od 2007-2013). The priorities of these 
programmes are to provide cross border support to partnership for economic development and networking resources and to strengthen competencies for environmental protection and 
conservation. Moreover cultural and educational initiatives for the establishment of a common 
cultural environment in the Black Sea Basin will be promoted. Both programmes have launched their first calls for proposals in 2009, in which Moldova was an active participant. 
The evaluation of the proposals still has to take place.  
Under the Neighbourhood Investment Facility (N IF), no project implemented solely in 
Moldova has been approved in 2009 (compared with four projects approved for NIF grant 
EN 23   EN funding in 2008). However, Moldova benefits from three NIF regional projects approved in 
2009 of a total value of EUR 19.4  million in the energy sector as well as in support to the 
private sector. 
Other EU instruments supplement the ENPI assistance package.  The Instrument for Stability 
is supporting the so-called Democracy p ackage by an amount of EUR 6 million.  
In 2009, the EU Delegation took the lead in the c oordination of assistance activities in some 
sectors (e.g. social protection) and was a pr incipal partner in the more general donors’ 
coordination activities. In addi tion, Moldova is also participa ting in the Division of Labour 
Fast Track Initiative.