Seminars on benefits of Association Agreements taking place in Moldova

In the course of January and February, eight seminars aiming to explain the benefits of the Association Agreements are being organised in Moldova by the EU-funded project Civil Society for Progress.

During the past seminars, they have been discussing the challenges in reforming public administration, and highlighted the crucial role civil society can play in this process. One of the seminars was devoted to establishing collaboration between CSOs and the Moldovan Ministry of Labor, Social Protection and Family. Other topics discussed were the benefits of the visa free regime, the legislative framework for the autonomy of Gagauzia.

In the coming weeks, they will discuss the visa free regime with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the benefits of the DCFTA for small businesses with the Ministry of economy, the impact on local farmers and producers with the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry, and will have a round table with the Central Electoral Commission.

Pirkka Tapiola, Head of EU Delegation in Moldova, took the opportunity to highlight the need for a stronger involvement of the Civil Society in the reform process by declaring the following: “The EU signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Moldova and not with a politician or a certain party. I enjoy the work of civil society in monitoring the government, but I must admit that at level of the decision-making, its involvement is low. Art. 22 and 23 of the Association Agreement refers to the Central Public Administration collaboration with civil society and its involvement in the decision-making process in a transparent manner”.

The next seminar to take place is a Round Table with the Central Electoral Commission on 19 February.

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