Foreign Affairs on September 1–15, 2007

European integration

Conference “Working Together — Strengthening the European Neighbourhood Policy”

Brussels hosted on September 3 the Conference “Working Together — Strengthening the European Neighbourhood Policy”. The conference was organised at the initiative of the European Commission and it was the first event of this kind since the ENP was launched. Taking part in the event were high-ranking functionaries of European institutions, including European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso and Benita Ferrero-Waldner, commissioner for External Relations and European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP), as well as high-ranking officials, representatives of business environments and civil society from countries participating in ENP.

Andrei Stratan, minister of foreign affairs and European integration, represented Moldova at official level.

By organising this conference, the European Commission wanted to understand better the wishes of ENP participating states in order to include them further in the offer that the European Union (E.U.) is making to its neighbours via ENP. Thus, the conference was part of E.U. efforts to improve and multiply the cooperation mechanisms within ENP, as the participating parties are capable to draw the necessary conclusions regarding the functioning of ENP with more than three years since it was released. The event followed two tries of E.U. to improve the cooperation within ENP at conceptual level. It tried first via the December 4, 2006 Commission’s Communication on Strengthening the ENP, and the German E.U. Council Presidency tried later, when it stressed a series of opportunities that the ENP is to use, starting from the Communication from the Commission.

Andrei Stratan has presented the attitude of Chisinau toward ENP while addressing the conference, stressing the need of: (a) diversifying action priorities from Action Plans in the context of the four freedoms: of goods, of citizens, of services and of capital; (b) economic-commercial integration; (c) access to the internal market of E.U.; (d) gradually liberalising the visa regime between partner states and E.U. and (e) developing the legal framework of E.U.-Moldova relations.

Sitting of EP Committee on Foreign Affairs

Mr. Stratan has repeated, at a September 12 sitting of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the European Parliament (EP), the main reference points from the speech he delivered at the September 3 Conference. He reiterated the need of defining a new legal framework of relations which will be developed with E.U. after 2008 and which will gradually bring Moldova in the area of the four freedoms.

NCEI

The National Commission for European Integration (NCEI) held a sitting on September 13. Valeriu Ostalep, deputy minister of foreign affairs and European integration, presented a report on implementation of the E.U.-Moldova Action Plan (EUMAP) and Moldova-E.U. relations.

Prime Minister Vasile Tarlev had then a speech. He said that though March 1, 2008 is the deadline for the implementation of EUMAP, he has demanded that the EUMAP goals be accomplished by November 17, 2007. Why November 17, 2007 was chosen as a deadline? The premier explained that it will be five years on that date since President Voronin has signed a decree on creation of NCEI, document that demanded a “European integration concept” and “laid the first stone to build the pro-European vector.” Two explanations are required for more accuracy: (a) the decree concerned was signed on November 13, 2002 and (b) it truly stipulated the creation of NCEI, but this commission should draft and deliver to the Parliament the European integration strategy of Moldova and work out and approve an action plan on implementation of this strategy.^[1]

Mr. Tarlev noted that NCEI will meet once a week, every Thursday, in order to study how the process of implementation of EUMAP goals is developing. The prime minister instructed the minister of foreign affairs and European integration to meet within 10 days with ambassadors of E.U. member states which signalled drawbacks related to the implementation of EUMAP, and to find out what problems they have signalled and adequate solutions.

Also, the premier asked Moldovan embassies to be more active, warning that inactive ambassadors will be recalled. The Ministry of Foreign of Affairs and European Integration (MFAEI) was asked to notify regarding “misinforming” reports written by “pseudo-patriots with the purpose to trouble the relations between Moldova and E.U.” Also, Mr. Tarlev ordered competent ministries to coordinate their moves with MFAEI, so that Moldova speak with a single voice with EU and in the virtue of future meetings of Moldova-E.U. subcommittees created via APC.

Mr. Tarlev mostly made a succinct analysis of activity of some central public institutions concerning the implementation of EUMAP. The work of the following institutions was analysed: the Interior Ministry, the Centre for the Struggle Against Economic Crimes and Corruption, the Ministry of Justice, the Supreme Council of Magistracy, the electronic media watchdog CCA, the Ministry of Economy and Commerce, the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry, the Customs Service, the Ministry of Health and Protection of Family and Child, the Ministry of Transportation and Road Management, and the Ministry of Local Public Administration. The premier particularly stressed the shortcomings of these institutions, warning their heads to urgently take the necessary measures in order to remedy them, otherwise “the next steps may be much severer.” He warned in the same spirit over the personal responsibility of heads of public institutions, if the next report of the European Commission will note such an institution as having certain drawbacks. If any institution is named, its head will be held responsible, Tarlve assured.

By delivering categorical statements, Mr. Tarlev hinted that he does not want to be a “scapegoat” in case of any problems related to execution of EUMAP and to relations between Moldova and E.U. in general. The attempt of prime minister to prevent the situation registered in late 2006, when President Voronin warned the Government that it could receive a “red card” for the state of things regarding the European integration, could explain the severe tonality of Tarlev. In other terms, the premier took precautious measures, so that not to be warned again by president. In case of any problems, Tarlev will be able now to invoke easily the personal responsibility of ministers.

Assistance

The E.U. released 4 million Euros to Moldova on September 3 as part of the 2006 Food Security Programme. The overall budget of the 2006 Food Security Programme is 9.2 million Euros. The first part worth 1.2 million Euros went to the treasury of Moldova in October 2006 and the remaining amount will be transferred by late 2007.

Moldova has received 3 million Euros from E.U. to attenuate the consequences of the 2007 drought. The European Commission Delegation in Chisinau said that this is a short-term measure and the E.U. will support the state budget of Moldova on medium and long terms. The E.U. is expected to allocate approximately 40 million Euros to the state budget of Moldova the next six months.

Bilateral cooperation

Republic of Moldova — Romania

The official relations between Moldova and Romania have been critical in continuation in the period concerned. MFAEI has convoked the charge d’affaires of Romania’s Embassy in Chisinau, Monica Sitaru, to raise concern with intentions of a Romanian parliamentarian to hear Moldovan citizens in Chisinau. The parliamentarian, who visited Chisinau at the invitation of the Christian Democratic People’s Party, motivated his gesture, saying that the hearings focussed on awarding of Romanian citizenship, issuance of Romanian visas, relations between Moldova and Romania, and other related issues.

An emergency ordinance adopted by Romanian Government to modify the law on citizenship was the key event in the period concerned capable to influence the Moldovan-Romanian relations in future. It is aimed to facilitate the process of awarding of Romanian citizenship, including to Moldovan citizens. The ordinance brings some news, among others:

It changes the members of the commission for citizenship, which will be made of legal advisers assimilated by magistrates who are employed with the Ministry of Justice, and it will permanently work. A commission made of judges of the Bucharest Tribunal study the citizenship applications at present but it cannot do this work permanently;
The citizenship will be awarded under an order by minister of justice, at the recommendation of the commission for citizenship. Now the citizenship is awarded at the recommendation of the Ministry of Justice under a Government decision, which requires a complex procedure of elaboration and notification;
The applicant will be able to fill his dossier by correspondence, without showing up to the commission, within 6 months after he receives a notification in this respect;
The Romanian citizenship will be awarded when the holder will be sworn in front of Romania, and this ceremony will take place within three months since publication of the order of minister of justice on awarding of citizenship in Part I of Monitorul Oficial.

Republic of Moldova — Russia

Rospotrebnadzor has announced that the problem of Moldovan wine exports to Russia could be resolved if one more inspection is accepted to Moldovan wineries, after Moldovan authorities had described as biased and useless in future the inspections of the Russian sanitary service to Moldovan wine plants, following the last inspection of Russian experts on August 8–13, 2007.

We recall that 17 Moldovan wine enterprises have been allowed until now to deliver for an expertise some samples of the products they sell, 11 Moldovan companies have already delivered such samples, and another 7 received sanitary-epidemic certificates for 149 types of products which they sell.

According to Rospotrebnadzor, the customs station Borovsk was chosen as a “one-stop-shop” to control the Moldovan wine exports to Russia and it will inspect every shipment of spirits.

Multilateral cooperation

Republic of Moldova — Council of Europe

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) passed a judgment in the Ungureanu vs. Moldova case on September 6, 2007. ECHR indicated the violation of the rights to a fair trial, to an effective appeal and protection of property. It told Moldova to pay 500 Euros to the applicant in non-pecuniary damage. The Strasbourg-based Court has sentenced Moldova in 69 cases until now.

↑ Monitorul Oficial # 151–153/1196, 14 November 2002.

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