The joint statement of the members of the European Union – Republic of Moldova Civil Society Platform welcomes the European Parliament Resolution of October 2023 and the European Parliament’s call to EU and Member States to increase the financial and technical assistance to the Republic of Moldova in order to facilitate the country’s rapid and effective integration into the EU. Additionally, Platform members urged national authorities to step up the implementation of the Association Agreement and accelerate the alignment of national legislation with the acquis communautaire.

At the 13th meeting of the European Union – Republic of Moldova Civil Society Platform, organised in a hybrid format, the Chișinău authorities were encouraged to continue the dialogue with civil society organisations in order to promote reforms, strengthen democratic institutions, fight corruption and combat misinformation.“The civil society plays a crucial role in the journey of the Republic of Moldova towards EU. Acknowledging this, we stress the importance of informing people about the benefits of EU integration, promoting ongoing reforms and fostering social cohesion. We appreciate civil society organisations for their active involvement and encourage them to continue supporting the Moldovan authorities in their reform efforts and in fighting misinformation. We also appreciate the Moldovan authorities for increasing the participation of civil society in decision-making processes and encourage a closer cooperation in accession negotiations. Only together, through joint efforts, we can we lead Moldova towards an European future,” said Jānis Mažeiks, the Ambassador of the European Union in the Republic of Moldova.

Liliana Palihovici, Co-President of European Union – Republic of Moldova Civil Society Platform pointed out that it was the first meeting of the European Union – Republic of Moldova Civil Society Platform since the decision of the European Council of 14 December 2023 to open the negotiations with the Republic of Moldova. “We celebrate the Republic of Moldova’s progress in obtaining this status, yet recognize the substantial effort required from both authorities and other stakeholders to transform the Republic of Moldova, to successfully implement the complex reforms intended to strengthen the justice system and fight corruption, to successfully complete the administrative reform, to strengthen the welfare and social protection system, etc. (…) We want to contribute with our expertise to promoting reforms, strengthening the understanding of European integration processes, promoting European values and, more importantly, combating the misinformation that divides society and reduces its resilience at a time when we need to show more solidarity”.

Doina Gherman, Deputy Speaker of the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova and Co-Chair of the Moldova-EU Parliamentary Association Committee, stressed the importance of the European Union’s efforts and financial support in building public resilience against misinformation. She said that misinformation and aggressive attacks against the EU accession will be the biggest challenges during this electoral year . Doina Gherman highlighted the need to build the capacity and respond to these challenges, calling for increased efforts in the fight against misinformation.

The MEP, Siegfried Mureșan, stressed that “there is still time” before the Republic of Moldova actually joins the European Union and that there are many things to be done, both in Chișinău and in the European Union. “We want the Republic of Moldova to integrate into as many EU programs as possible (…) The accession will start soon. The participation of the civil society is essential, because the process itself will bring a profound change for the country, and the civil society will have to be involved in defining how the European law will be adapted to the Moldovan law.”

The European Union – Republic of Moldova Civil Society Platform was established on the basis of Article 442 of the Association Agreement and is made up of representatives of the EU civil society, including members of the European Economic and Social Committee, and representatives of the Moldovan civil society. It is a forum for meeting and exchanging views on issues related to the implementation of the Association Agreement, development challenges of the Republic of Moldova, etc.

The thirteenth meeting of the European Union – Republic of Moldova Civil Society Platform was held under “Civil Society for European Integration” project funded by the European Union and co-funded by Friedrich Ebert Foundation Moldova and implemented by Expert-Grup Independent Think Tank, as the main partner, in partnership with the Institute for European Policies and Reforms (IEPR), NGO Institutum Virtutes Civilis (IVC) and Friedrich Ebert Foundation Moldova.

 

The full statement made at the event will be available shortly on the organisers’ websites and on euromonitor.md.