Foreign Affairs on September 16–30, 2007

European integration

Eighth meeting of the EU-Moldova Cooperation Sub-Committee on Justice and Home Affairs

The eighth meeting of the EU-Moldova Cooperation Sub-Committee on Justice and Home Affairs (JHA) took place on September 19, 2007, in Brussels. Moldovan delegation to the meeting was led by Valeriu Ostalep, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration, while the EU was represented by a group of officials led by Hilde Hardeman, head of unit within the European Commission DG-RELEX.

During the meeting the sides have paid attention to Moldova’s efforts towards reforming its judicial system; in the field of migration management, preventing and combating corruption, organised crime, trafficking in human beings. The EUBAM activity was another issue addressed. The sides have agreed that negotiations so that Moldova sign in 2008 a Cooperation Agreement with FRONTEX need to be initiated. Among others, it is to be observed that FRONTEX signed already such a document with Ukraine.

EU officials have underlined the need for Moldova to cooperate more actively with countries from the Black Sea region, and with SECI and GUAM members on JHA matters.

They have informed also Moldovan officials that the European Commission had made the formal inquiry to exclude the necessity of transit visas via Bulgaria and Romania for Moldovan citizens. Acquis favours such a move. For example, Poland, Hungary and Czech Republic do not require transit visas for Moldovan citizens who have valid visas or residence permits in a number of European countries. Their example could be followed by Bulgaria, and especially by Romania.

NCEI

National Commission for European Integration (NCEI) has met twice in this period, on 20 and 28 September. The Ministry of Justice, Superior Council of Magistrates, Supreme Court of Justice, National Institute of Justice, Prosecutor General Office, Coordination Council on Audiovisual, Ministry of Economy and Trade, and the Ministry of Transport and Road Management have reported at the sittings on the implementation process of the EU-Moldova Action Plan for January-August 2007 period. Representatives of these institutions informed that most of actions planned for this period have been finished. The only significant drawbacks have been found in the Coordination Council on Audiovisual activity.

The NCEI president, Prime Minister Vasile Tarlev, has worn again over the quality of reports prepared by public institutions, and has requested that public officer code of conduct and strategy of enhancing the enforcement system, etc. be approved by the next meeting of the EU-Moldova Cooperation Committee, as of 15 October 2007.

Bilateral cooperation

Republic of Moldova — Romania

During the reported period, the Romanian President Traian Basescu has brought again to the public attention the Romanian citizenship issue. He has requested at the Supreme Security Council of Romania sitting “the maximum simplification” of the awarding Romanian citizenship procedure to solicitors from the Republic of Moldova, having into account “moral [and] political obligations” towards them, and the fact that on the EU labour market there is a deficit of 20 millions people. The fact that this request follows the approval of an ordinance by the Romanian Government on September 5, might suggest that President Basescu sees Government’s amendments insufficient.

Being interviewed by BBC Chisinau Office on Basescu request, the Moldovan Prime Minister Vasile Tarlev said that his counterpart statement is for “internal use”, and therefore it is pointless to comment on. Meantime, Marianne Mikko, Co-President of the EU-Moldova Parliamentary Cooperation Committee has said that Basescu statement was not his “the most clever rhetoric”. Similar opinions share some other Moldovan politicians and observers who consider that in the present circumstances such statements put fire on some spirits from the left bank of the Prut river.

On the other side, for those who for a number of years are waiting to get the Romanian citizenship, Basescu’s request is fully justified. In most of the cases, for them it is less important if such statements have or not a burning potential. What counts for them is to obtain quickly a Romanian passport, so that to leave then in a search for new hopes.

Multilateral cooperation

Republic of Moldova — Council of Europe

MFAEI call to CoE member states

Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration (MFAEI) has made a call to the CoE member states urging them to ratify as soon as possible the European Convention on fight against trafficking in human beings.

The call shows the necessity of common actions of the CoE member states, that could be opposed to trafficking in human beings, as “a state cannot fight alone against a phenomenon which has starting and end points beyond clear-cut limits”.

According to the MFAEI press service, for now the mentioned Convention has been signed by 36 countries, and ratified only by 9 — Albania, Austria, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Croatia, Georgia, Moldova, Romania, and Slovakia.

ECHR decisions

In the reported period, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has sentenced Moldova in two cases.

In Mizernaia vs. Moldova case, ECHR has indicated the violation of the rights to a fair trial and protection of property. Moldova was told to pay to the applicant 3987 euro as pecuniary damages, 2000 euro as non-pecuniary damages and 700 euro as costs and expenses.

In the second case, Bita and others vs. Moldova, ECHR has noted the violation of the rights to a fair trial, protection of property, and to an effective appeal. It obliged Moldovan Government to pay to Mr. Bita 67 euro as pecuniary damages, to Mr. Andrienco 2000 euro as pecuniary and non-pecuniary damages, and to Mrs. Stanili 930 euro as pecuniary and non-pecuniary damages.

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