What changed between the draft committee report and the plenary report

MOTION FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT RESOLUTION

5 unchanged paragraphs

on the 2025 Commission report on Moldova

(2025/2258(INI))

The European Parliament,

– having regard to the Commission communication of 4 November 2025 entitled ‘2025 Communication on EU enlargement policy’ (COM(2025)0690), accompanied by the Commission staff working document of 4 November 2025 entitled ‘Republic of Moldova 2025 Report’ (SWD(2025)0758),

– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2025/535 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 March 2025 establishing the Reform and Growth Facility for the Republic of Moldova1,

Changed:– having regard to the Reform Agenda under the Republic of Moldova’s (hereinafter ‘Moldova’) Growth Plan for the years 2025 to 2027,2025-2027,

– having regard to its previous resolutions on Moldova,

– having regard to the European Council conclusions on Moldova of 26 June 2025,

Changed:– having regard to the Council Presidency conclusions on enlargement of 16 December 2025,

– having regard to the Joint Declaration following the first Republic of Moldova-EU Summit of 4 July 2025,

Changed:– having regard to the outcomes of the ninth EU-Republic of Moldova Association Council meeting, heldmeeting on 4 June 2025,

Added:– having regard to the renewed Memorandum of Understanding between the European Parliament and the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova, signed on 18 March 2026,

– having regard to Rule 55 of its Rules of Procedure,

Changed:– having regard to the report of the Committee on Foreign Affairs (A10-0000/2026),(A10-0164/2026),

Change 1

Changed:A. whereas on 22 September 2025, Moldova concluded the bilateral screening that began on 10 July 2024; whereas the countryMoldova is ready to startformally open negotiations on clusters;all six clusters for EU accession negotiations;

Change 2

Changed:B. whereas the Government of Moldova has signalled its ambitious yet achievable objective to provisionally close accession negotiations by early 2028 and to join the European Union by 2030;

Change 3

Changed:C. whereas Moldova held parliamentary elections on 28 September 2025, which resulted in a pro-European majority,majority and reaffirmed the aspirations of the Moldovan people for a European future for their country, despite unprecedented foreign interference by Russia and Russian proxies, andwhich, reaffirmedaccording to Moldovan officials, spent the aspirationsequivalent of 2 % of the Moldovan peoplegross fordomestic aproduct, Europeanthe futureequivalent forof theirEUR country;350 million, on this interference;

Change 4

Changed:D. whereas Moldova is holding technical discussionsnegotiations with the Commission on three of theall six clusters for EU accession negotiations: I (Fundamentals), II (Internal Market) and VI (External Relations);negotiations;

Change 5

Added:E. whereas the Association Agreement, which includes a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA), remains the basis for political association and economic integration between the EU and Moldova, and regular political and economic dialogue is ongoing between the two sides;

Added:F. whereas on 19 January 2026 the Government of Moldova announced its intention to formally withdraw from the Commonwealth of Independent States, on 2 April 2026 the Parliament of Moldova officially passed legislation in its final reading to denounce that organisation’s founding documents, and on 6 April 2026 President Maia Sandu signed a decree to promulgate the law;

Progress with EU accession-related reforms, in particular on the rule of law and governance

Change 6

Changed:1. Commends Moldova for its continued exemplary commitment to the EU accession and its steadfast progress with related reforms despite significant internal and external challenges;challenges, such as persistent hostile Russian interference; welcomes the Commission’s assessment that Moldova made progress across all chapters and achieved the biggest annual progress among the candidate countries; callsconsiders onthis Moldovaprogress particularly remarkable given the extraordinary geopolitical pressure under which the country continues to significantlyoperate; accelerateencourages Moldova to maintain the implementationpace of thereforms, keyso socio-economicthat progress translates into tangible benefits for citizens and fundamentalbusinesses, reformsstrengthening outlinedeconomic indevelopment, resilience and convergence with the ReformEuropean Agenda,Union in line with its stated ambition to provisionally close accession negotiations by early 2028;

Change 7

Changed:2. Welcomes the successful completion of the bilateral screening process;process notesand the start of technical talks on the negotiation clusters; welcomes the Commission’s assessment that all six negotiation clusters are ready to be opened; urges the Council to take a merit-based approach and formally open the clusters without any further delay, starting with the fundamentals cluster; reminds the Member States of the principle of sincere cooperation under Article 4(3) of the Treaty on European Union, which requires them to refrain from any measure which could jeopardise the attainment of the Union’s objectives, and therefore urges them to avoid blocking or delaying accession negotiations based on bilateral issues; emphasises that opening accession negotiations would signal that the EU recognises and rewards Moldova’s concrete achievements, reinforcing the credibility and integrity of the enlargement process; welcomes the adoption of road maps on the rule of law, on public administration and on democratic institutions, and the updated National Programme for Accession to the European Union for the period 2025–2029; commends the progress already achieved by Moldova at the technical level in the transposition of the EU acquis;

Change 8

Removed:3. Notes the Commission’s assessment that Moldova made good progress in reforming the justice sector; recognises Moldova’s sustained efforts to build an independent, impartial, accountable and professional judicial system and encourages the country to effectively conclude the vetting process by the end of 2026; calls on Moldova to ensure sufficient resources for judicial bodies, inter alia, to reduce the length of proceedings;

Added:3. Underlines that the pace of the Moldova’s accession process should reflect the significant progress it has made on reforms; calls on the Commission to actively facilitate and provide preparatory support, including technical assistance, follow-up verifications and administrative capacity building, to enable Moldova to make progress in the negotiations effectively and in all clusters simultaneously;

Removed:4. Notes Moldova’s progress in the prevention of and fight against corruption, with an improved track record in both high-level and non-high-level cases; highlights the need to further strengthen operational capacities and institutional independence and enhance coordination among all key anti-corruption and justice institutions in order to guarantee the long-term success of comprehensive reforms;

Added:4. Recognises that Moldova’s European integration contributes positively to stability and security in Europe and serves as a vital catalyst for the country’s democratic resilience, institutional reform, the rule of law, and sustainable economic development;

Removed:5. Highlights the fact that the parliamentary elections of 28 September 2025 were the fifth consecutive vote confirming the support of the people of Moldova for the country’s EU accession and related reforms; condemns the repeated attempts by the Russian Federation, pro-Russian oligarchs and Russian proxies to destabilise the country, sow divisions within Moldovan society and reverse its European course;

Added:5. Notes the Commission’s assessment that Moldova has made good progress in reforming the justice sector; reminds Moldova of its commitment to follow the recommendations of the Venice Commission; stresses that the sustainability of reforms requires broad political ownership and inclusive dialogue across the political spectrum, as well as meaningful consultation with civil society and professional stakeholders; recognises Moldova’s consistent political will and sustained efforts to build an independent, impartial, accountable and professional judicial system;

Removed:6. Calls on the Moldovan authorities to leverage their strong pro-European mandate to accelerate key reforms and meet the ambition of closing accession negotiations by early 2028; stresses that genuine and tangible results need to be delivered in order to justify the trust of the Moldovan citizens and ensure their continued support for the European integration of Moldova; welcomes the establishment of the dedicated Parliamentary Committee for European Integration within the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova and underlines the importance of cross-party cooperation for the sustainable success of EU accession-related reforms and progress towards EU membership;

Added:6. Calls on the Moldovan authorities to ensure that the vetting process of judges and prosecutors is conducted in an inclusive, predictable and legally robust manner and encourages the country to effectively conclude the process without delay, as completing vetting is critical to ensuring public trust in the judiciary, eliminating compromised judges, and reinforcing the rule of law as a cornerstone for EU integration; calls on Moldova to ensure sufficient budgetary and human resources for judicial bodies and continue taking measures to strengthen their capacities in order, inter alia, to address the deficit of judges and prosecutors, reduce the length of proceedings, especially in corruption and economic crime cases, and improve the digitalisation, accessibility, efficiency and transparency of justice for all citizens;

Added:7. Notes the consistent progress made by Moldova in preventing and fighting against corruption, with its improved track record in both high-level and non-high-level cases; highlights the need to further strengthen operational capacities, institutional independence, professionalism and accountability, and enhance coordination mechanisms among all key anti-corruption and justice institutions, in order to guarantee the long-term success of comprehensive reforms;

Added:8. Stresses that anti-corruption efforts must be pursued in a consistent, depoliticised and transparent manner, avoiding ad hoc or expedited legislative initiatives that may undermine legal certainty and institutional trust; emphasises the importance of prioritising quality, sustainability and due process over the speed of reforms in order to ensure the long-term credibility and resilience of the anti-corruption framework;

Added:9. Stresses that continuing to address the influence of oligarchic structures in the political, economic and media spheres remains a key priority for advancing Moldova’s European integration;

Added:10. Highlights the fact that the parliamentary elections of 28 September 2025 were the fifth consecutive vote confirming the support of the people of Moldova for the country’s EU accession and related reforms; strongly condemns the repeated attempts by the Russian Federation, pro-Russian oligarchs and Russian proxies to destabilise the country, create and disseminate disinformation, sow division within Moldovan society, undermine the country’s democratic institutions, and reverse its European course;

Added:11. Welcomes the assessment of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE)/Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) that the parliamentary elections were well-organised, competitive and offered voters a clear choice among political alternatives; invites Moldova to further align its legislation pertaining to elections and its electoral processes with European and international standards and implement all the unaddressed recommendations of the Venice Commission and the OSCE/ODIHR;

Added:12. Commends the resilience shown by the Moldovan institutions and society in safeguarding the integrity of the electoral process despite a massive hybrid campaign by Russia and its proxies; notes that key factors of this success were the timely and coordinated efforts of the Moldovan authorities, the active involvement of civil society and independent media and the support of the EU and its Member States, including through the EU Partnership Mission in Moldova (EUPM);

Added:13. Warns that malign Russian interference is a continuous and evolving process that requires constant monitoring and a response based on a whole-of-society approach, adequate institutional capabilities and resources; calls for the EU and its Member States to strengthen their support for Moldova’s institutional resilience, strategic communication capacities, cybersecurity, independent media and democratic safeguards; stresses that its efforts to counter the spread of disinformation and misinformation from Russia should comply with the requirements of legality, necessity and proportionality; notes that experience gained in Moldova can be used to defend other democracies facing similar hybrid threats; expresses serious concern over the activities of pro-Russian networks, which have been linked to large-scale sanctions circumvention, electoral interference and disinformation campaigns through the use of cryptocurrency infrastructures connected to Russian financial actors such as Promsvyazbank; calls on the Commission and the Member States to strengthen financial intelligence cooperation, enhance sanctions enforcement and support the Moldovan authorities in countering illicit financial flows and foreign interference through non-EU countries, including through targeted sanctions and cyber-monitoring measures;

Added:14. Highlights the vital role of the Moldovan diaspora in keeping the country on its European path, as demonstrated by their active participation in democratic processes, including the parliamentary elections of 28 September 2025, and its significant contributions to the socio-economic development of Moldova; calls on the Moldovan authorities to continue strengthening ties with the diaspora and facilitating their active involvement in the country’s European integration process;

Added:15. Calls on the Moldovan authorities to leverage their strong pro-European mandate to accelerate the pace of key reforms required for the EU membership path and to meet the ambition of closing accession negotiations by early 2028; recognises Moldova’s strong commitment as a candidate country to undertake demanding but necessary reforms; urges the Moldovan political elite to sustain political consensus over EU accession; underlines that it is essential to sustain the trust of Moldovan citizens in the EU accession process, including through the timely, formal opening of accession negotiations; welcomes the establishment of the dedicated Parliamentary Committee for European Integration within the Moldovan Parliament and underlines the importance of cross-party cooperation for the sustainable success of EU accession-related reforms and progress towards EU membership;

Added:16. Expresses its readiness to continue supporting the Parliament of Moldova through mutually agreed democracy support activities that respond to the needs of that institution, its elected members and staff; highlights the formal opening of the European Parliament Eastern Partnership office in Chișinău on 7 November 2025, demonstrating Parliament’s commitment to deepening its engagement with Moldova and the entire Eastern Partnership region; welcomes, in this context, the renewed memorandum of understanding signed by President Metsola and the Speaker of the Moldovan Parliament Igor Grosu in March 2026;

Added:17. Welcomes the organisation of the first-ever EU–Moldova Summit in July 2025 as a major political milestone in EU–Moldova relations and a strong political signal of support for Moldova’s sovereignty, democratic stability and European path;

Added:18. Stresses the importance of countering disinformation regarding the European integration process; urges the Commission, the European External Action Service (EEAS) and the Moldovan Government to step up their joint strategic communication efforts to improve the visibility of the EU in Moldova; highlights the need for targeted campaigns to explain the tangible, daily benefits of preparations for EU accession and EU-funded projects to the Moldovan public, particularly in rural areas and regions;

Added:19. Stresses the importance of democracy support actions in Moldova that improve the quality of democratic debate and anti-disinformation resilience; welcomes the cooperation by the Moldovan authorities and civil society actors with, inter alia, the European Endowment for Democracy (EED) as a tool that can fill the vacuum left by the dismantling of the US Agency for International Development (USAID) in the region; congratulates the EED in this context for providing 62 % more grants in 2025 than in 2024, with just 34 % more budget; welcomes the fact that in 2025 the EED tripled its support for Moldovan entities compared with 2024;

Added:20. Reiterates that the Moldovan people’s support for European integration can be strengthened by achieving a tangible improvement in their livelihoods, strengthening state institutions, reinforcing a robust welfare system, fighting poverty, raising the standard of living throughout the country, and fighting corruption and oligarchic influence;

Socio-economic reforms

Change 9

Removed:7. Welcomes the initial progress in implementing the Moldova Growth Plan, which is aimed at supporting Moldova’s socio-economic and fundamental reforms and enhancing its access to the EU’s single market;

Added:21. Welcomes the good progress achieved so far in implementing the Moldova Growth Plan and its underpinning Reform Agenda, which is aimed at supporting Moldova’s socio-economic and fundamental reforms and enhancing its access to the EU’s single market; welcomes the disbursement of EUR 270 million in pre-financing and EUR 207.9 million in additional support from the Reform and Growth Facility for Moldova, including the second tranche in March 2026 totalling EUR 189 million, as a result of the country fully achieving 24 out of a total of 26 reform steps with a deadline of December 2025; calls on Moldova to continue working towards completing the remaining two reform steps with a deadline of 2025 and supports it in this endeavour; calls on the Commission to streamline internal procedures to ensure the timely assessment and disbursement of funds upon the adoption in Moldova of legislation, drafts of which the Moldovan authorities had previously submitted and consulted on;

Removed:8. Commends the agreement reached on 24 July 2025 on the review and update of the trade terms of the EU-Moldova Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area2, which offers stability and predictability for EU and Moldovan operators, and increases the country’s attractiveness for investors; notes that the agreement coincided with the expiry of the autonomous trade measures granted to the country since July 2022, which suspended import duties and quotas on Moldovan exports to the EU and thereby helped Moldova reorient its trade towards the EU; highlights that the EU is Moldova’s biggest trading partner, accounting for 54 % of its total trade volume in 2024; notes that the significant increase in the Transnistrian region’s trade with the rest of Moldova and its export dependency on the EU could create a ‘de facto’ economic reintegration that could serve as a pragmatic foundation for a peaceful political settlement and the eventual reunification of the country;

Added:22. Calls on the Commission to provide administrative and technical assistance to the Moldovan authorities to ensure the timely and effective absorption of funds from the Reform and Growth Facility; calls on the Moldovan Government to ensure effective communication, transparency, visibility and accountability regarding the use of funds from this facility, including through the constructive involvement of civil society;

Removed:9. Reiterates the importance of civil society organisations in monitoring the governance and progress of EU-related reforms; calls on the Moldovan Government to engage in genuine and effective cooperation with civil society, including through the permanent consultative platforms; invites the Moldovan Government to make headway on the implementation of the national programme for the development of civil society organisations 2024-2027;

Added:23. Calls for the 2027 EU budget to provide targeted administrative and technical assistance to prepare Moldova for the transition to the new structure of the upcoming multiannual financial framework (MFF) and the Global Europe instrument; stresses the need to assist the Moldovan administration in adapting to the future ‘Europe’ pillar delivery model; stresses that the allocation and release of funds must remain strictly conditional upon the fulfilment of agreed reform milestones, macro-financial stability, sound financial management, transparency of budget implementation and the existence of effective safeguards against fraud, corruption and conflicts of interest; reiterates its call on the Commission to include in the EU’s next MFF an adequate specific country allocation for Moldova within the future Global Europe ‘Europe’ pillar and to begin preparing Moldova to efficiently use future pre-accession funds; insists that explicit and transparent pre-accession allocations are necessary to track expenditure effectively and prevent the dilution of funds within broad geographic pillars;

Removed:10. Congratulates Moldova on becoming an operational part of the Single Euro Payments Area as of 6 October 2025, facilitating transfers in euro and reducing costs for Moldovan citizens and businesses; welcomes Moldova’s inclusion in the EU’s ‘roam like at home’ area as of 1 January 2026, allowing Moldovan citizens to use their Moldovan phone numbers while travelling in the EU without incurring roaming fees;

Added:24. Commends the agreement reached on 24 July 2025 on the review and update of the trade terms of the EU-Moldova DCFTA2, which offers stability and predictability for EU and Moldovan operators, and increases the country’s attractiveness for investors; notes that the agreement coincided with the expiry of the autonomous trade measures granted to the country since July 2022, which suspended import duties and quotas on Moldovan exports to the EU and thereby helped Moldova reorient its trade towards the EU to mutual benefit; highlights that the EU is Moldova’s biggest trading partner, accounting for 67.5 % of total exports and 54.1 % of total imports in 2025, as well as for 86 % of foreign direct investments (FDI) in 2024, consolidating its position as the central pillar of FDI in Moldova’s economy; stresses the importance of EU direct investments in Moldova’s economy in facilitating the country’s economic integration into the EU single market, generating employment and business opportunities and improving the livelihoods of citizens;

Added:25. Welcomes the deepening of Moldova’s economic integration into the EU single market and encourages further steps towards gradual sectoral integration and an ambitious, gradual and sustainable liberalisation of trade, including through the expansion and easing of tariff-rate quotas and, where appropriate, their progressive elimination, in line with the revised DCFTA framework, in order to deliver tangible economic benefits, strengthen Moldova’s resilience and support its European integration path; calls on the Commission, in particular, to explore the further progressive liberalisation of trade in agri-food products, including the removal of remaining non-tariff barriers and increased support for regulatory alignment, in particular as regards sanitary and phytosanitary standards and technical barriers to trade and the introduction of semi-automatic increases in tariff quotas, linked to utilisation rates and compliance with EU standards, while ensuring appropriate safeguard mechanisms for EU producers;

Added:26. Notes that the significant increase in the Transnistrian region’s trade with the rest of Moldova and its export dependency on the EU could enable the conditions for the region’s economic convergence with Moldova’s legal framework, fostering a de facto economic reintegration that could serve as a pragmatic foundation for a peaceful political settlement and the eventual reunification of the country; supports Moldova’s efforts to include the Transnistrian region in economic and regulatory convergence measures related to the EU single market; welcomes efforts by the authorities in Chișinău to extend the application of Moldovan tax legislation to companies operating in the Transnistrian region as a step towards regulatory alignment and economic integration;

Added:27. Reiterates the importance of civil society organisations (CSOs) and independent media in monitoring the governance and progress of EU-related reforms; insists that financial support for Moldovan CSOs under the 2027 EU budget and the future Global Europe instrument remain independent of progress made by the government in reforms; calls for predictable, dedicated, flexible and accessible funding streams for local CSOs and human rights defenders through the new financing mechanisms included in the Reform Agenda to ensure they can operate effectively; calls on the Moldovan Government to engage in genuine and effective cooperation with civil society, including through permanent consultative platforms; calls on the Moldovan Government to make headway in implementing the national programme for the development of CSOs for the period 2024-2027; welcomes the regular consultations held regarding the EU accession process and accession-related reforms;

Added:28. Reiterates its call for the acceleration of Moldova’s gradual integration into the EU single market by continuing to align its legal and regulatory framework with the EU acquis and associating the country with more EU programmes, agencies and initiatives, including those related to the digital economy, financial services and innovation; congratulates Moldova on becoming an operational part of the Single Euro Payments Area from 6 October 2025, facilitating transfers in euros and reducing costs for Moldovan citizens and businesses; welcomes Moldova’s inclusion in the EU’s ‘roam like at home’ area as of 1 January 2026, allowing Moldovan citizens to use their Moldovan phone numbers while travelling in the EU without incurring roaming fees; highlights that such tangible benefits play a key role in strengthening public support for EU integration; encourages further alignment with the EU digital acquis and continued efforts to strengthen connectivity, digital infrastructure and market integration;

Added:29. Underlines the critical need to accelerate comprehensive public administration reform; calls on the Moldovan Government to ensure a fully merit-based, professional and transparent civil service at both central and local levels, which is essential for the effective implementation of the EU acquis; stresses that meaningful territorial-administrative reform is crucial to empower local authorities, as the current fragmentation of municipalities severely hinders their financial independence and their administrative capacity to successfully apply for, absorb and manage EU regional development funds; highlights the need to provide targeted educational programmes and capacity-building support to local and regional authorities to empower them to successfully apply for, absorb and manage available EU funding opportunities;