Expert-Grup

The European Union – the Most Substantial Political, Economic, Financial and Trade Supporter of the Republic of Moldova

Integrare europeanăPolitici de creștere economicăWednesday, 11 June 20251364 views

Automatically translated summary. The full text is available in Romanian.

An analytical note by the Independent Think Tank “Expert-Grup” reviews the European Union's support for the Republic of Moldova, from the Association Agreement of 2014 to candidate status in 2022 and accession negotiations in 2024, focusing on visa liberalisation, the DCFTA and EU financial assistance.

The Association Agreement was signed in June 2014, applied provisionally from 1 September 2014 and fully operational from July 2016. It laid the basis for political association and deeper economic integration. Its free trade component, the DCFTA, gradually reduces tariffs and aligns Moldovan legislation, procedures and standards with those of the EU.

The authors measure EU support through three cumulative elements: visa-free travel (April 2014), the DCFTA (September 2014) and EU financial support. Visa-free stays of up to 90 days spare citizens queues, document costs and visa fees, and allow seasonal earnings. According to the Border Police, Moldovan citizens made about 105 million border crossings by the end of June 2025, against roughly 9.8 million in 2013 and over 11.7 million in 2016. Flows fell visibly in 2020-2021 during the pandemic.

View the original in Romanian