EC says Moldova can close accession negotiations by early 2028

The EC said Moldova has intensified the alignment of its legislation with the EU acquis across all chapters and made further progress on key rule-of-law reforms. It has also made very substantial progress towards meeting the interim benchmarks under the fundamentals cluster.

Marta Kos warned, however, that in the next stage, the Republic of Moldova must pay increased attention to the effective implementation of reforms, especially in the fight against corruption.

“A stronger focus on implementation and enforcement will be essential. This includes achieving a solid track record in investigating, prosecuting and sentencing corruption cases,” the European Commissioner said.

Among the priorities for the coming period, Marta Kos listed stimulating economic growth, creating jobs and strengthening energy security. For 2027, the Commission recommends continuing the reform of local public administration, completing the transparent reorganisation of central public institutions, strengthening fiscal discipline, and increasing budgetary transparency and accountability.

The Commission presented indicative roadmaps for Moldova and other three candidate countries (Ukraine, Albania and Montenegro) on November 4, setting out concrete milestones and targets for the year ahead.

The Council will now consider the EC’s recommendations and take decisions on the next steps in the enlargement process.