CHIȘINĂU –
Sven Mikser, the European Parliament’s Standing Rapporteur for the Republic of Moldova, has wrapped up a four‑day fact‑finding mission to Chișinău and Bălți, meeting senior officials, opposition leaders, local authorities, media and civil society, and touring EU‑funded projects from upgraded schools to a renovated residential block and the NORTEK Centre for Innovation and Technology Transfer. “What I have seen on the ground confirms that Moldova is making determined efforts on its European path under challenging circumstances,” he said.
The visit, which ran from 30 March to 2 April, comes as Moldova advances through formal EU accession talks amid acute security and economic headwinds linked to Russia’s war against neighboring Ukraine. The European Union has stepped up political, financial and technical backing, framing Moldova’s progress as strategically important for regional stability and the resilience of the EU’s eastern frontier.
“What I have seen on the ground confirms that Moldova is making determined efforts on its European path under challenging circumstances. EU support is delivering concrete results for citizens, from infrastructure to public services,” he said.
During the mission, Mikser conferred with the Speaker of Parliament, the Chair of the Standing Committee on European Integration, leaders of opposition parliamentary factions, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration, the Ministers of Justice and Defence, and the State Secretary at the Ministry of Energy. In Bălți, he met the Mayor and reviewed EU‑supported local initiatives, including modernised secondary education facilities and the NORTEK innovation hub, underscoring the importance of transparent, efficient delivery of assistance. “EU-funded projects are not abstract commitments – they translate into better healthcare, modernised infrastructure and improved living conditions. This is the European Union’s added value on the ground,” he added.
Accession talks anchored by reforms
Moldova has moved from EU candidate (June 2022) to formal negotiations, after the Council approved negotiating frameworks and held the first Intergovernmental Conference on June 25, 2024. Under the EU’s enlargement framework, the country must gradually align with the full body of EU law, or acquis, before membership can be considered. The European Commission and Council say the bilateral “screening” of Moldova’s alignment with the acquis was completed on September 22, 2025-an important technical milestone before opening and provisionally closing negotiating chapters.
In 2025, the European Parliament welcomed Moldova’s progress while flagging the need to push ahead on the rule of law, judicial independence, anti‑corruption and media pluralism-areas Mikser highlighted repeatedly in his meetings this week. The EU’s revised enlargement methodology puts these “fundamentals” at the center of negotiations, with sustained reform momentum required to keep chapters advancing and to reassure member states that new entrants will uphold common legal and governance standards.
Security pressures and EU support
The security environment remains fragile, with Moldova exposed to spillover risks from the war in Ukraine and to persistent hybrid pressure, including disinformation campaigns and attempts to destabilise domestic politics. In May 2024, the EU and Moldova signed a Security and Defence Partnership, and in May 2025 the Council extended the EU Partnership Mission in Moldova (EUPM) for two more years, tasking it with bolstering crisis‑management capacity and countering hybrid threats, including cyber and information operations. The EU has also adopted targeted restrictive measures against individuals and entities deemed to be undermining Moldova’s sovereignty and constitutional order.
Through the European Peace Facility, the Council approved additional assistance in April 2025 to improve Moldova’s short‑range air defence and mobility-part of a multi‑year package to strengthen the armed forces’ ability to protect critical infrastructure and respond to emergencies. The EU and national partners have also intensified efforts to counter disinformation and enhance resilience in the information space, treating information security as a core pillar of Moldova’s statehood and of the wider European security architecture.
Assistance turning into visible upgrades
Brussels and Parliament negotiators agreed in February 2025 on a near‑€2 billion Reform and Growth Facility, designed to underwrite Moldova’s EU‑related reforms, economic modernisation and delivery capacity across central and local levels. The instrument is intended to reward credible reform with predictable, front‑loaded funding, mirroring approaches used in previous enlargement rounds. Additional macro‑financial and sectoral support is channeled through budget assistance, investment guarantees and technical cooperation, giving the government both fiscal space and expert backing to implement politically sensitive changes.
Energy security-an acute vulnerability since 2022-remains a priority. The EU and Moldova have coordinated to diversify supplies, strengthen the grid and shield consumers, including through projects to interconnect Bălți and Suceava via a 400 kV line and targeted assistance announced in 2025. These steps complement Moldova’s synchronisation with European energy systems and investment in efficiency at municipal level, reducing dependence on a single supplier and turning energy policy into a core component of the country’s European integration strategy.
Moldovan citizens and businesses are also seeing integration dividends in their daily lives. The EU “Roam Like at Home” regime became fully operational for Moldova on January 1, 2026-eliminating roaming surcharges for travelers between the EU and Moldova-while cheaper euro transfers through SEPA have been available since October 2025. These measures, although technical, are politically significant: they signal deeper market integration and offer a tangible preview of the benefits associated with eventual membership.
Political landscape and public mandate
Elections have shaped the policy runway for reforms and the credibility of Moldova’s EU track. International observers judged the September 28, 2025 parliamentary vote competitive and offering voters a real choice, as the pro‑EU Party of Action and Solidarity retained a parliamentary majority-an outcome EU officials said would help sustain the pace of accession‑critical legislation and shield judicial and anti‑corruption reforms from short‑term political pressure.
- June 25, 2024: EU and Moldova open accession negotiations at the first Intergovernmental Conference in Luxembourg, formally launching the chapter‑by‑chapter process.
- September 22, 2025: Moldova completes bilateral screening with the European Commission, clearing the way for substantive negotiating rounds.
- February 19, 2025: EU institutions reach provisional agreement on a Reform and Growth Facility worth almost €2 billion to support reforms and economic convergence.
- May 21, 2025: Council extends the EU Partnership Mission in Moldova to May 2027, maintaining a civilian presence focused on security‑sector resilience.
- January 1, 2026: EU “Roam Like at Home” becomes operational for Moldova, aligning telecom rules with those inside the single market.
Mikser’s mission forms part of the European Parliament’s ongoing engagement with Moldova’s accession process and its oversight of how EU funds and political commitments translate into institutional change on the ground. As of April 2, 2026, Moldova remains an EU candidate country in active negotiations under the revised enlargement methodology, with screening concluded and chapter‑by‑chapter talks proceeding under EU conditionality on the rule of law, democracy and human rights, as set out in the EU’s official enlargement policy for Moldova. For Brussels and Chișinău alike, the coming period will test whether that framework can deliver both durable reforms and visible improvements in citizens’ daily lives.
