Commission staff working document - accompanying the Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament 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}
Date: 2010-05-04
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: European neighbourhood policy, Moldova, democracy, economic integration, energy policy, environmental protection, geographical mobility, human rights, legal system, political cooperation, report, settlement of disputes

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EUROPEAN COMMISSION  

Brussels, 12.5.2010 
SEC(2010) 523 final 

COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT 

accompanying the 

COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION  
TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT 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} 

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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. Developments 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  information  on  regional  and  multilateral 
sector processes, please refer to the sectoral report. 

In June 2009, the Council adopted negotiating directives for a new EU-Moldova agreement to 
supersede the PCA. The July 2009 parliamentary elections, the restoration 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, paved the way for launching the negotiations in 
January 2010. 

In  April  2009  Moldova  went  through  disputed  elections.  Street  riots  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  challenged  some  OSCE  commitments.  The  Parliament 
did  not  manage  to  elect  a  President.  EU-Moldova  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 authorities’ interaction with international institutions 
have increased.  

Efforts  to  effectively  implement  structural  reforms,  based  on  a  strong  European  integration 
government  programme  aligned  with  the  objectives  of  the  EU-Moldova  Action  Plan,  were 
stepped  up  in  the  last  quarter  of  2009.  Dialogue  with  civil  society  noticeably  improved  and 
measures  were  taken  to  increase  access  to  information  and  transparency  of  the  public 
decision-making process. Amendments to the electoral code were adopted as requested by the 
Council of Europe’s Venice Commission, and progress 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 achieved 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  services.  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  Understanding  with  the  European  Commission  on  a 
EU  High  Level  Policy  Advisory  Mission  to  Moldova;  the  EU-Moldova  joint  statement, 
released at the Cooperation Council meeting of December 2009, announcing the opening in 

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2010 of a dialogue examining the conditions for Moldovan citizens’ visa-free travel to the EU 
as  a  long-term  goal;  and  a  more  active  engagement  on  the  Transnistria  issue.  Moldova 
continued  to  benefit  from  the  expertise  of  the  EU  Border  Assistance  Mission  (EUBAM), 
which contributed  to improving migration and  border  management  and  whose  mandate  was 
extended for a second time.  

At  the  same  time,  Moldova  engaged  in  structural  reforms  in  order  to  counter  the  economic 
and financial crisis that hit the country hard in late 2008. It continued to benefit fully from the 
EU  Autonomous  Trade  Preferences  and  in  July  2009  a  feasibility  study  on  the  future 
establishment  of  a  deep  and  comprehensive  free  trade  area  (DCFTA)  was  finalised.  An 
economic stabilisation and recovery programme 2009-2011 was adopted in November 2009. 
In  October  2009,  an  arrangement  was  reached  with  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  pluralistic  media  environment.  In 
addition, proper implementation of adopted legislation and further reform of the judiciary and 
the  rule  of  law,  intensification  of  the  fight  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  representatives  participated  actively  in  the 
multilateral  framework  of  the  Eastern  Partnership,  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 Partnership, this contributed to the strengthening of EU-
Moldova  relations  and  reinforcement  of  the  follow-up  on  the  priorities  of  the  ENP  Action 
Plan. 

2. 

POLITICAL DIALOGUE AND REFORM 

2009 was marked by the political events triggered by the disputed parliamentary elections in 
April  and  the  breakdown  of  respect  for  human  rights  and  the  rule  of  law  in  relation  to  the 
subsequent demonstrations, as well as the severe impact of the global economic and financial 
crisis on the Moldovan economy. Also in April, several high-level visits took place to discuss 
the post-electoral situation, 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  intensified.  The  EU  Ministerial  Troika  and  the  Commissioners  for 
Trade, European Neighbourhood Policy and EuropeAid Co-operation Office visited Moldova 
in  October  and  November  2009,  respectively.  Consultations  also  took  place  between  the 
Government  and  the  EU  Political  and  Security  Committee,  the  Council  Working  Party  on 
Eastern  Europe  and  Central  Asia,  and  the  Political  Directors’  Troika.  In  the  run-up  to  the 
negotiations on a new EU-Moldova agreement, the political dialogue was rapidly taken up to 
a new level. An ambitious way forward for the development of EU-Moldova relations was set 
out  in  a  joint  statement  issued  in  December  by  the  EU-Republic  of  Moldova  Cooperation 

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Council.  Shortly  after,  the  EU  and  Moldova  agreed  to  establish  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  degenerated  into  violent  riots  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 political parties to be represented in Parliament. 
The  Council  of  Europe  Venice  Commission  welcomed  these  changes,  but  recalled  other 
recommendations,  such  as  a  ban  on  pre-electoral alliances and lifting the provisions barring 
certain  categories  of  officials  and  elected  representatives  from  holding  dual  or  multiple 
citizenships.  The  latter  restriction  was  removed  by  the  subsequent  Parliament,  in  December 
2009. 

The OSCE/ODIHR International Election Observation Mission concluded that the re-run July 
elections “were well-administered overall and allowed for competition among political parties 
representing a plurality of views” but also underlined a number of shortcomings, in particular 
as regards the media and the campaign environment. 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 particular on the provisions related to the election 
of the President. In addition, consultations were initiated with the Council of Europe Venice 
Commission  to  advise  on  constitutional  changes.  This  process  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  would  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 Magistrates, the Law on the status of judges and the Law on the public prosecution 
service (PPS) became effective in the first quarter of 2009. However, the amendments to the 
Law  on  the  Superior  Council  of  Magistrates  do  not  comply  with  Council  of  Europe 
recommendations and were considered as a significant step backwards in the judiciary reform 
process.  The  Law  on  PPS  similarly  disregarded  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  immediately.  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  elimination  of  economic  and  military  courts,  the 
administration  of  courts  of  justice,  the  judicial  enforcement  system,  and  the  bar 
administration. The National Institute of Justice continued to enjoy international support and 
stepped  up  its  training  activities.  A  Superior  Council  of  Public  Prosecutors  was  set  up  in 
December  2009.  A  modern  judicial  information  system  is  being  implemented.  The  main 
challenge  for  Moldova  in  implementing  the  reform  of  the  judiciary  remains  the  limited 
resources  available.  As  the  Law  on  legal  assistance  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.  

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Progress  was  observed  in  combating  corruption.  Anticorruption  awareness-raising  and 
education campaigns were carried out, thereby addressing some of the concerns raised in the 
previous  progress  report.  The  Centre  for  Combating  Economic  Crimes  and  Corruption, 
established in 2008, is operational and during the year provided corruption 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  Moldova  has  made  significant 
progress  in  implementing  its  recommendations,  two  major  deficiencies  have  still  to  be 
addressed:  delays  in  adopting  and  implementing  international  instruments  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 

that  followed 

The  events 
the  April  parliamentary  elections  highlighted  structural 
shortcomings  as  regards  respect  for  human  rights  and  rule  of  law  standards.  Notably, 
disproportionate  use  of  force  by  the  law  enforcement  bodies  was  reported;  several  hundred 
people,  including  minors,  were  arbitrarily  arrested  and  detained;  violations  of  procedural 
rights  of  persons  and  ill-treatment  during  detention  were  reported  to  be  widespread;  and  at 
least one death was confirmed to be related to such ill-treatment. 

The  new  Government  has  accepted  responsibility  for  law  enforcement  bodies’  abuse  of 
powers  with  regard  to  persons  arrested  in  relation  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 deficiencies in the response of the authorities at the 
time of the events were denounced by international 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 Office, 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  officers  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  representatives  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 exception 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  against  Torture  and  the  Committee  for  the 
Rights of the Child were discussed 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 Protocol, and the International Convention for the Protection of 
All Persons from Enforced Disappearance are still awaiting ratification.  

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Comprehensive  anti-discrimination  legislation  has  yet  to  be  adopted;  the  draft  law  on 
preventing and combating discrimination, which underwent a round of public 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  assessing  progress  continued  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 sexual minorities continued  to be reported by 
international organisations and civil 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 Muslim religious communities were 
reported  to  be  still  prevented  from  being  registered.  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 anti-semitic statements. No police or other forces 
of public order intervened to stop the action. The Government quickly and firmly condemned 
the acts and a criminal investigation was opened. In August 2009, the Chisinau Municipality 
ordered the relocation of a peaceful 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  Potential  Victims  of  Trafficking  was  extended  in 
2009 and is now active in 29 districts including the country’s two largest 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 concern. A number of positive actions were initiated 
under  the  new  Government  with  a  view  to  enforcing  a  zero-tolerance”  policy  towards  ill-
treatment  throughout  the  criminal  justice  system.  The  preventive  mechanism  created  within 
the Centre for Human Rights (Parliamentary advocates) needs to be significantly strengthened 
in  order  to  meet  the  requirements  set  out  under  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 infrastructure 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 Processing 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 job properly. In addition, 
further amendments to the existing law on protection of personal data will 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,  severe  restrictions  of  the  right  of  access  to 
information  and  the  use  of  administrative  means  such  as  tax  investigations,  as  well  as 
restrictions on freedom of media and free reporting in the context 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 that only partly reflected Council of Europe’s 
recommendations on the decriminalisation of slander and libel. In the later part of the year a 

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number  of  measures  were taken aiming  to  reverse  the  situation.  In  November  2009,  the 
Audiovisual Code was amended - without consultation of the Council of Europe - to simplify 
the appointment procedure for the members of the Audiovisual Coordination 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 difficulties 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 register NGOs. For the second year in a 
row,  the  organisers  of  the  annual  ‘gay  pride’  event  decided  to  cancel  it,  citing  security 
concerns. 

Good progress was noted with regard to the inclusion 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  forum  designed  to  intensify  dialogue  with  civil 
society and increase its participation in the public decision-making process.  

During  the  reporting  period  the  Ministry  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  September  2009,  this  phenomenon  remains  widespread 
and  additional  protective  infrastructure  for  victims  of  domestic  violence  is  needed.  In  May 
2009,  the  UN  Special  Rapporteur  on  Violence  against  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 detailed recommendations to the Government, 
covering  in  particular:  corporal  punishment  and  other  violence  against  children,  access  by 
vulnerable groups to key services, temporary separation from parents, abuse and neglect, the 
situation of children with disabilities, child labour, the administration of juvenile justice, and a 
range of other areas. Work has started to identify criteria for cases 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  continued  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  collective  consultations  and  bargaining  and  to 
improved labour statistics. 

No progress was made on the approval of the draft 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  regional  and  international  issues, 
and aligned itself with nearly all EU CFSP declarations open for alignment.  

Regional cooperation 

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Moldova continued to actively participate in the Central European Initiative (CEI), the South-
East European Cooperation Process (SEECP) and Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), and 
the  Central  European  Free  Trade  Agreement  (CEFTA).  In  2009  Moldova  held  the 
chairmanship of SEECP and in this context promoted 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  Transnistrian  negotiator  on  regular  bilateral 
meetings. Moldova and the Transnistrian de facto authorities lent their coordinated support to 
the two packages of EU sponsored confidence-building projects launched in 2009. Together 
with  Ukraine,  Moldova  continued  to  implement  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 legislation 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 (EUBAM). Preparations took place 
in view of opening an EUBAM branch office in Chisinau in February 2010. With EUBAM 
support,  the  professional  capacities  of  the  Moldovan  customs  and  border  guard  services 
continued  to  be  enhanced,  as  was  inter-agency  cooperation  within  Moldova  and  between 
Moldova  and  Ukraine.  In  December  2009,  following  constructive  bilateral  talks  as  well  as 
talks  between  Ukraine  and  the  Transnistrian  de  facto  authorities,  an  important  advance  was 
achieved in starting the demarcation of the central (Transnistrian) segment of the Moldovan-
Ukrainian  State  border.  By  agreement  between  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  hit  hardest  by  the  global  financial  and  economic 
crisis. GDP contracted by 6.5% in 2009, in sharp 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 declined 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  cushioned  by  the  rapid  deceleration  in  prices.  The 
budgetary situation deteriorated from the middle of 2008, despite the cuts of 20% across the 
expenditure side of the budget decided in spring 2009. The government deficit reached 6.9% 
of GDP in 2009, against 1% in 2008. As a result of the double external shock on trade and 
remittances, pressures on the national currency built up and at the end of 2009 the Moldovan 
leu  depreciated  against  major  currencies.  The  National  Bank  of  Moldova  (NBM),  however, 

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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 reserves were partly replenished. In order to counter the impact of 
the crisis, monetary policy was eased substantially. 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 NBM tightened monetary 
policy and raised the base rate to 6 %, due to an anticipated increase in the inflation rate above 
the defined inflation target of 5% with a deviation band of +/-1 percentage point. 

The  outlook  for  Moldova  for  the  short  to  medium  term  is  challenging.  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  community  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  intended  to  help  restore  fiscal  and  external 
sustainability.  IMF  assistance  is  linked  to  the  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  programme  for  stabilisation  and  recovery  of 
the  economy  for  the  years  2009-2011,  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  progress  can  be  reported  on  the  fight  against 
poverty which remains a key priority for the Government. 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 partners in formulating employment policies; to 
improve  labour  market  information  and  labour  statistics  and  to  better  target  employment 
services and programmes. The unemployment rate was estimated in September 2009 at 6.2%. 
While  the  implementation  of  the  national  programme  for  youth  economy  (2008-2010) 
continued over the reporting period, youth unemployment remains an issue of concern, with, 
officially, 12% of the 15-29 years age group being 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 the skills of the returned migrants. 

As regards social dialogue, no progress can be reported on the adoption of the long-awaited 
amended draft Labour Code and the International 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  still  under  parliamentary 
examination and bipartite social dialogue still needs to be strengthened. The implementation 
of  the  Decent  Work  country  programme  continued:  projects  over  the  reporting  period 
included  those  on  social  dialogue,  gender  and  access  to  employment  of  persons  with 
disabilities. 

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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 sufficient funding to the social sector and to set up 
a mechanism of data collection. The cost-calculation 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 programme for “stabilisation 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 allocations for child birth increased in September 2009 
and the 2010 Law on state social assurance (adopted in December 2009) provides for a further 
increase.  Overall,  the  administrative  and  financial  capacities  of  the  Ministry  of  Social 
Protection  should  be  increased  and  the  funding  of  the  social  protection  scheme  needs  to  be 
sustained. 

The  shortcomings  of  inter-ministerial  coordination  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 strategic 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 crisis, the EU remained Moldova’s most important 
trade partner. Moldovan exports to the EU declined by 31.1%, while EU exports to Moldova 
decreased  by  27.7%.  Moldova’s  trade  balance  with  the  EU  remains  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  study  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  bring  long-lasting  benefits  to  the  Moldovan 
economy and society, it also requires careful preparation for Moldova to be able to reap the 
benefits  of  a  DCFTA  and  to  withstand  the  inherent  competitive  pressure  without  suffering 
disproportionate  adjustment  costs.  In  particular,  it  will  be  important  to  ensure  that  the 
regulatory  approximation  in  trade-related  areas  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 commitment to make progress in line with the agreed 
set of steps towards that objective.  

Moldova  is  working  on  export  diversification  with  a  EU  assistance  project  aiming  among 
other  at  improving  the  international  competitiveness  of  the  enterprise  sector,  including 
through  potential  market  analyses  and  accompanying  information  activities;  increasing  the 
number of exporting companies; stimulating foreign direct investment and strengthening the 

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Moldovan Investment and Export  Promotion Organisation and  the Ministry of Economy. In 
September  2009  the  Ministry  of  Economy  decided  to  revoke  the  quality  certification 
procedure  covering  imported  batches  of  non-alcoholic  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 Parliament in order to establish the size of the 
ecological tax on the eco-declaration at the import of products packed in plastic recipients and 
in  plastic  coated  paperboard.  This  amendment  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 trademark for exported alcoholic beverages. Concerning 
the import of meat, a Government decision of November 2009 foresees the elimination as of 
February  2010  of  the  existing  limitations.  A  transitional  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  system  “Integrated  Tariff  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  reporting  period,  in  January  2010.  During  the  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  crossing  points  a  new  information  system  that  allows  for  the 
exchange of information among the agencies which are part of the single window system. The 
introduction of the system also allowed for a more 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 structure of its mobile teams in accordance with 
the EUBAM recommendations. A new Code of Administrative 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 ethics of customs officers based on the Arusha 
convention. 

The  implementation  of  horizontal  legislation  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 setting up quality infrastructure. The final selection of priority 
sectors  is  foreseen  in  2010  with  the  support  of  an  EU  technical  assistance  project.  In  2009 
Moldova continued to implement a National Plan 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 for safety of products of animal origin and 
the General Inspectorate for phytosanitary surveillance and seeds control, both established in 
2008,  became  operational.  Moldova  further  strengthened  laboratories  and  continued  to 
implement  its  animal  identification  system.  Moldova  continued  to  work  towards  a  better 
functioning  of  and  coordination  among 
the  SPS  related  bodies.  Moldova  started 
implementation of a revised action plan on animal health and 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.  

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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 ten regional centres established. The draft law 
on authorization of construction is under preparation. 

The Joint Stock company law is being revised. The electronic licensing register of companies 
is  available  online  since  January  2009.  Moldova  continued  implementing  the  Corporate 
Governance  Code  as  well  as  the  laws  on  Joint-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  joint-stock  companies,  investors  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 supervisory framework in the field of financial services. 
The main elements of the banking supervision structures follow largely the Basel I principles 
for  effective  banking  supervision.  Some  amendments  to  banking  regulations,  notably  in  the 
field  of  information  disclosure  were  made  in  July  2009.  Moldova  has  continued  the 
implementation of the IMF’s Financial Sector Assessment Programme recommendations. The 
National  Commission  on  the  Financial  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  International Association of Insurance Supervisors 
(IAIS).  Adoption  of  a  Strategy  for  the  Development  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 Development Strategy 2008-2011, progressed. The web-portal for the 
interaction  between  taxpayers  and  tax  service  continued  to  be  developed  and  a  bar-code 
information  system  and  an  e-statements  system  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 refunds. 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.  The  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 competition culture among economic operators. A New 
twinning project for the NAPC is planned for 2010 and is likely to focus in part on anti-trust 
issues. 

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Moldova  continued  to  complement  its  legislation  on  intellectual  property  rights  with  the 
entry into force in November 2009 of improved procedures and patents. It also completed the 
accession to international treaties with the ratification, in March 2009, of the Singapore Treaty 
on the law of trademarks. However, the new law on copyrights and related rights is not yet 
adopted. While the new Code on Administrative Contraventions which entered into force in 
May  2009  provides  for  administrative  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 and awareness raising activities are needed to 
involve  stakeholders  in  the  effective  protection  of  intellectual  property  rights.  The  National 
Commission on intellectual property, in charge of coordinating these issues, has not yet met. 
In April 2009 Moldova sent an official request to open negotiations of an extension agreement 
with the European Patent Office (EPO). The issue of Moldova’s membership to the Eurasian 
Patent Organisation needs to be resolved before the start of negotiations with the EPO. 

Implementation  of  the  2007  public  procurement  law  as  well  as  targeted  awareness  raising 
activities continued over the reporting period. The legislation was further complemented with 
the adoption in May 2009 of the regulation on conducting public procurement of design work 
services  and,  in  September  2009,  of  the  regulation  on  the  purchase  of  medicines  and  other 
medical  products  for  health  systems.  In  May  2009  the  Government  approved  the  technical 
concept of e-procurement which is in use in five selected pilot public institutions. 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  general  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  financial  reporting  standards  (IFRS)  for  listed  and  public  interest 
companies  as  from  January  2009.  Further  efforts  are  needed  to  increase  the  capacity  of 
regulatory  agencies  in  charge  of  enforcing  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  activities  in  support  of  Small  and  Medium  Sized 
Enterprises (SMEs) particularly in rural areas. This includes reduction of administrative and 
fiscal burden on firms, and facilitation 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 Youth 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 Commission for Entrepreneurial Activity includes 
both  private  and  public  sector  members  and  provides  a  forum  for  consultation  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 support the activities of consumer organisations. 

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With regard to the management of public finances, the amendments proposed 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  the  management  of  public  funds.  Work  on 
budget preparation and implementation methodologies progressed but the Ministry 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 methodology, its further development may be 
limited  by  weak  implementation  capacity  including  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 sector which entered into force in June 2009 while 
its Central Harmonization Unit defined methodological instruments for financial management 
and implemented pilot audits. The latter also prepared 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  newly  created  audit  units.  In  order  to  ensure 
successful  outcome  in  this  regard,  attention  would  need  to  be  paid  to  organisational 
management,  customised  training  and  communication.  The  EU  and  the  World  Bank 
commented  upon  a  revised  draft  law  which  remains  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  implemented  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-free 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  liberalisation  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  Chisinau  which  was  opened  in  2007  was  issuing 
visas  for  ten  EU  Member  States  and  two  other  Schengen  states.  In  2009,  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  agreement  for  small  distance  cross-border 
movement  with  Romania,  allowing  visa-free  stays  of  up  to  three  months  within  a  50-km 
border strip in Romania for Moldovans 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  2009.  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 with international standards. Since 2007 a 

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Regional  Protection  Programme  is  implemented  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 Accommodation Centre (MAC) was upgraded 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 readmission 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)  institutional  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  infrastructure  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 gathering, document forgery and vehicle search. The 
first  meeting  of  a  working  group  on  the  development  of  joint  patrolling  on  the  Moldovan-
Ukrainian  border  took  place  in  September  2009  while  the  Nikony  Joint  Border  Control 
Operation  was  implemented  with  EUBAM  support,  leading  to  increased  detection  of 
smuggling,  illegal  migration  and  customs  fraud.  In  addition,  the  Border  Guard  Service 
improved its capacity to detect falsified visas and passports. Moldova continues to participate 
actively in the Söderköping Process. 

In  November  2009,  two  agreements  between  Moldova  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 border 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 Service continued with plans to be completed by 
the end of 2011. By replacing conscripts with professional border guards, the number of the 
latter  will  be  substantially  decreased.  However,  lack  of  adequate  resources  may  lead  to 
postponing  the  demilitarisation  objective.  In  2009,  400  border  guards  were  newly  recruited 
and  trained  on  the  basis  of  training  programmes  developed  by  FRONTEX.  The  lack  of 
adequate financial resources poses serious challenges 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  registration  of  abandoned  children  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  significantly  increasing  the  number  of  registered  criminal  cases  for 
trafficking offences. Implementing rules to the Law on protection of witnesses were adopted. 
However,  the  number  of  victims  remains  high  with  much  greater  efforts  required  to  fully 
implement  the  National  Action  Plan.  Draft  agreements  on  dealing  with  unaccompanied 
minors  and  victims  of  trafficking  were  developed  but  not  yet  signed  with  Italy  and  the 
Russian  Federation.  Trafficking  in  human  beings,  including  trafficking-related  corruption, 
remains  a  matter  of  concern  which  should  be  further  addressed  both  in  terms  of  prevention 
and  prosecution.  In  May  2009,  Moldova  ratified  the  Council  of  Europe  Convention  on 
Cybercrime which entered into force in September 2009.  

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With regard to the fight against drugs, Moldova started planning the new National anti-Drugs 
Strategy  for  2010-2017  in  coordination  with  all  interested  statutory  authorities  and 
stakeholders  while  continuing  to  implement  the  existing  National  Strategy  and  Action  Plan 
for the period 2007-2009. The Anti-Drugs Unit of the Ministry of the Interior achieved some 
success  in  drugs  seizures  notably  of  hashish,  opiates  and  synthetic  drugs  as  compared  to 
figures  returned  for  2008.  However,  drug  trafficking  and  its  links  with  organised  crime 
remains  an  issue  of  serious  concern  requiring  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  implementation  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  diligence,  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  criminal  investigations  in  the  framework  of  a 
permanent  Joint  Working  Group  on  illegal  migration  and  trafficking  in  human  beings, 
established in late 2008.  

6. 

TRANSPORT, ENERGY, ENVIRONMENT, THE INFORMATION SOCIETY, RESEARCH AND 
DEVELOPMENT 

Moldova  still  experiences  difficulties  in  implementing  its  land  transport  infrastructure 
strategy. Although the Land Transport Infrastructure Strategy (in line with the commitments 
taken towards International Financing Institutions) 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  introduction  of  digital  tachographs  and  rules  on 
driving  times  and  rest  periods.  Road  safety  remains  an  issue  of  concern,  in  particular  as 
regards drivers’ training and certification.  

In  the  aviation  sector,  Moldova  is  a  potential  candidate  for  participation  in  the  Common 
Aviation  Area  to  be  gradually  integrated  into  the  EU  internal  aviation  market.  As  other 
Eastern  neighbouring  countries,  Moldova  signed  a  working  arrangement  with  the  European 
Aviation Safety Agency. This is an important step towards integrating Moldova into the EU 
civil  aviation  safety  system  and  should  allow  Moldova  to  strengthen  its  regulatory 
cooperation with EASA and progress towards convergence with safety standards. 

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In  the  maritime  sector,  Moldova  continued  with  its  regulatory  alignment  with  international 
standards. Moldova's first passenger port in Giurgiulesti, was inaugurated in March 2009. In 
addition  to  this  passenger  terminal,  the  port  has  progressed  slowly.  Upgrades  of  an 
international free port and specialized cargo, container, 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  profit  from  the  sea,  river,  rail  and  land 
transport  interchange  options  at  a  geographically  strategic  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  regulator.  Complete  compliance 
with  the  EU  legislation  relevant  for  the  Energy  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 electricity, gas and heat tariffs.  

Moldova continued to study the conditions under which it could join, together with Ukraine, 
the interconnected electricity networks of continental Europe (ENTSO-e, European Network 
of Transmission System Operators for Electricity, the successor of UCTE). In 2009, Moldova 
progressed  on  energy  infrastructure  projects  foreseen  in  its  energy  strategy,  in  particular  as 
regards the gasification programme of the North, the commissioning of the main gas pipeline 
Balti-Ungheni  and  the  electricity  interconnection  Gotesti-Falciu  (Romania).  It  pursued  the 
rehabilitation  of  electricity  networks,  thereby  further  reducing  network  losses.  It  studied 
possibilities  for  a  gas  storage  facility  and  provided  investments  for  a  gas  pipeline  to 
Giurgulesti  port.  Moldova  continued  the  evaluation  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 efficiency 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 guaranteeing 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  reaching the renewable energy/energy efficiency 
objectives of its energy strategy, 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  gas  inventory  for  1990  –  2005,  projections  on 
emissions,  results  of  vulnerability  and  adaptation  assessment,  information  on  technology 

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transfer  and  training  needs  as  well  as  a  summary  on  financial  and  capacity  needs.  Sectoral 
action  plans  on  mitigation  and  adaptation  for  electrical  and  thermal  power,  agriculture, 
transport, industry, forestry, waste management and 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 Mechanism (CDM) projects, even if no new projects 
were  registered  at  UN  level,  leaving  the  overall  number  of  registered  projects  at  four.  The 
European  Commission  continued  to  support  Moldova  to  implement  the  Kyoto  Protocol. 
Moldova associated itself with the Copenhagen Accord and provided information on actions 
that it will implement.  

In the field of environment, the legislative framework for environmental 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 waste 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 for the management of waste and chemicals. 

Moldova,  together  with  the  other  Danube  countries,  adopted  the  first  Danube  river  basin 
management  plan,  several  sub-basin  flood  action  plans  and  a  Ministerial  Declaration 
committing  to  establish  a  Danube  climate  change  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  adopted  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 Water 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  authorities  continues  to  require  attention.  Some  activities  were  taken 
promote  the  integration  of  environmental  considerations  into  other  policy  sectors  such  as 
energy and transport. 

Involvement  of  civil  society  representatives  continues  to  require  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  progress  in  the  ratification  of  remaining  relevant  UNECE 
protocols1.  Furthermore,  the  implementation  of  several  already  ratified  agreements  requires 
particular  attention.  While  Moldova  participated  in  the  EU  Water  Initiative,  including  a 
national policy dialogue, as well as in the International Commission for the Protection of the 

The Protocol on Strategic Environmental Assessment to the UNECE Convention on Environmental 

1 
Impact  Assessment  in  a  Trans-boundary  Context,  and  the  Protocol  to  Abate  Acidification,  Eutrophication  and 
Ground-level Ozone to the UNECE Convention on Long-Range Trans-boundary Air Pollution. 

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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  the  2001  national  concept  of  environment  policy,  water,  forestry, 
waste  management,  environmental  data,  nature  protection  and  air  quality.  An  EU  financing 
agreement  to  grant  EUR  45  million  sector  budget  support  for  water  issues  was  signed  in 
August. 

Moldova  and  the  EU  continued  close  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  emergency  call  number  112.  It  also  submitted  a 
request  to  conclude  a  bilateral  Administrative  Arrangement  with  the  relevant  Commission 
service to strengthen cooperation on emergencies as well as in the areas of disaster prevention 
and  preparedness.  Moldova  participated  in  the  December  2009  launch  event  of  the  EaP 
flagship  initiative  on  prevention  on,  preparedness  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 (ANRCETI) adopted during the course of 2009 
a number of important decisions in order to develop 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  local  loop  and  the  publication  of  a  Reference 
Unbundling  Offer.  The  Regulation  defines  forth  obligations  for  providers  designated  by  the 
Agency  as  having  significant  market  power  (transparency  and  non-discrimination,  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  before  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  provision  of  electronic  communications  services  and 
networks.  A  new  3G  mobile  operator  was  entered  in  the  register  of  providers  and  will  start 
providing services in 2010. ANRCETI carried out several important public consultations on 
the  draft  Universal  Service  Regulations  including  the  conditions  and  the  procedures  of 
Universal  Service  provision,  on  the  cost  accounting  methodology  for  assessing  the  cost  of 
interconnection  and  access  services,  on  a  draft  decision  on  the  identification  of  relevant 
markets  susceptible  to  ex-ante  regulation,  and  on  the  draft  procedure  to  licence  the  Use  of 
Scarce Resources for Public Electronic Communications Services. 

Investment in research remains relatively moderate. However, Moldova continues to increase 
the number of applications submitted to the 7th Framework Programme (FP7), and some 16 
research  groups  were  successful  in  their  applications,  as  of  November  2009,  receiving  over 
EUR 877,000 of EU funding, with particular success under the 'international cooperation' and 
'Marie Curie' calls for proposals. The overall number of applications and successful proposals 

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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  responsible  for  implementation  of  FP7  in  Moldova) 
developed  a  comprehensive  action  plan  to  prepare  the  research  community  for  the 
opportunities offered by FP7 association as an initial step to enhance 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 capacities. In particular, the awareness-raising exercises, travel 
grants  and  training  actions  proposed,  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 programme, leading potentially to an increased 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  dialogue  on  science  and  technology  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  issues,  in  April  2009.  The  results  from  this 
workshop were provided to the European Commission 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  with EU standards in higher education with 
the  implementation  of  the  second  cycle  (Masters  level).  Reforms  undertaken  to  date  also 
include the development of a first version of the National Qualifications Framework as well 
as  implementation  of  ECTS  and  the  Bologna  Process  Diploma  Supplement.  The  latter, 
providing  for  greater  transparency  on  higher  education  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  rejected  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 programmes 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  the  new  context  presented  by  the  EU-Moldova 
Mobility Partnership with a particular focus on transparency of qualifications in construction 
and  agriculture.  In  this  regard,  two  technical  workshops  on  occupational  profiles  in  the 
context of migration and recognition of prior learning (RPL) were organised from March to 
September  2009  in  cooperation  with  the  Ministries  of  Education  and  Labour,  the  National 
Employment  Agency  and  the  European  Training  Foundation.  Moldovan  experts  also 
benefited  from  study  visits  and  seminars  on  apprenticeships,  qualifications  and  RPL.  Social 
dialogue  in  education  and  training  remains  at  an  embryonic  stage  and  would  require 

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substantial work and investment to ensure that future training  provision  meets  future  labour 
market demands. 

Higher  education  reform  continued  to  benefit  from  participation  in  Tempus  with  two 
Moldovan projects selected under the second Call for Proposals for Tempus IV on improving 
cooperation  between  higher  education  institutions  and  social  partners.  Tempus  remained  a 
driving force for institutional reform in higher education throughout the reporting period with 
significant  impact  on  staff  development,  modern  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  were  awarded  scholarships  for  Erasmus  Mundus 
Masters Courses under Action 1 while student and academic mobility was further enhanced 
with the selection of a partnership in Action 2 involving six Moldovan institutions providing 
67  grants.  Moldovan  universities  are  encouraged  to  continue  submitting  high-level 
applications for projects under the Jean Monnet programme. 

The Ministry of Health published a study on youth health and development, highlighting the 
challenges  faced  by  young  people  in  health,  education,  social  protection  and  family  life. 
Youth organisations and young people continued to benefit from participation in the Youth in 
Action  Programme  with  a  particular  focus  on  voluntary  service  actions,  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 museum specialists in the context of 
the implementation of the 2005 UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the 
Diversity of Cultural Expressions. As stated in 2008, the independent culture sector remains 
chronically  under-funded  and  marginalized  in  terms  of  influence  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  coverage,  better  quality,  enhanced  primary  health  care  and 
prevention  and  control  of  both  communicable  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  November  2009.  The  reform  of  the  health 
sector  benefitted  from  EU  sector  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  emergencies.  Moldova  pursued  the  fight 
against  HIV/AIDS  and  tuberculosis.  Moldova  continued  its  participation  in  the  European 
Commission’s  HIV/AIDS  Think  Tank.  It  took  several  measures  to  prevent  and  combat 
influenza  A  (H1N1)  including  by  adopting  an  action  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  health  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. 

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8. 

FINANCIAL COOPERATION – 2009 KEY FACTS AND FIGURES 

The  European  Neighbourhood  and  Partnership  Instrument  (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  development  /  Good  Governance;  (2) 
Support  for  Regulatory  Reform  and  Administrative  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 December 2009. Important results were achieved 
through  this  programme  as  several  tens  of  thousands  of  poor  Moldovans  have  started  to 
receive a cash-benefit support of up to EUR 30 monthly per person, which had an important 
anti-poverty  effect,  especially  for  rural  families  with  several  children  and  the  elderly  urban 
poor population. Other concrete achievements in 2009 included the provision of new medical 
equipment  for  100  primary  health  clinics,  and  the  refurbishment  of  several  day-care  centres 
for  children  and  the  elderly  people.  Four  food  safety  laboratories  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 programme) and water (2009 programme) Sector 
Budget Support (SBS) programmes.  

In  2009,  the  European  Commission  programmed  assistance  for  a  total  amount  of  EUR  57 
million under the ENPI2009 Annual Action Programme (AAP). It focuses on two priorities: 
support  for  Regulatory  Reform  and  Administrative  Capacity  Building  (including  twinning) 
for the sum of EUR 7 million and support for Poverty 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  period  2011-2013,  based  on  a  European  Commission 
decision of March 2010.  

In  addition  to  the  bilateral  allocation,  Moldova  also  benefited  from  cooperation  activities 
financed  under  the  ENPI  multi-country  and  regional  programmes,  as  well  as  horizontal 
thematic  programmes,  such  as  the  European  Instrument  for  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 Cross-Border Cooperation (CBC) programmes: the 
Black Sea Basin  and the Romania/Moldova/Ukraine (with the respective allocations of EUR 
17.6  million  and  EUR  126  million  for  the  period  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  (NIF),  no  project  implemented  solely  in 
Moldova  has  been  approved  in  2009  (compared  with  four  projects  approved  for  NIF  grant 

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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 package by an amount of EUR 6 million.  

In 2009, the EU Delegation took the lead in the coordination of assistance activities in some 
sectors  (e.g.  social  protection)  and  was  a  principal  partner  in  the  more  general  donors’ 
coordination  activities.  In  addition,  Moldova  is  also  participating  in  the  Division  of  Labour 
Fast Track Initiative.  

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