The Moldova–European Union Association Agreement is a treaty between the European Union (EU), Euratom, their 27 Member States and Moldova that establishes a political and economic association between the two parties.
The agreement established a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA) between the EU and Moldova, including "the removal of import duties for most goods traded between the EU and Moldova" and "broad mutual access to trade in services for both partners".
The parties committed to co-operate and converge economic policy, legislation, and regulation across a broad range of areas, including equal rights for workers, the exchange of information and staff in the area of justice, the modernisation of Moldova's energy infrastructure, and access to the European Investment Bank. The parties committed to regular summit meetings, and meetings among ministers, other officials, and experts.
The agreement commits Moldova to economic, judicial and financial reforms to converge its policies and legislation to those of the European Union.
History
The EU Association Agreement (AA) was initialed on 29 November 2013 in Brussels. It was signed on 27 June 2014 and was being provisionally applied (in particular the DCFTA) starting 1 September 2014.
On 1 July 2016, the Association Agreement (AA) between the European Union and the Republic of Moldova fully came into force, following ratification by all 31 signatories.Full entry into force of the Association Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Moldova at europa.eu
Ratification Signatory Date Institution AB Deposited Reference 8 July 2015 National Council Approved 28 August 2015 23 July 2015 Federal Council Approved Presidential Assent Granted 23 April 2015 Chamber of Representatives 102 17 18 1 February 2016 Royal Assent (federal law) 1 July 2015 WalloonParliament (regional)(community)63 2 4 6124 22 June 2015 German-speaking Community 1621 24 June 2015 French Community 71 0 8 20 November 2015 Brussels Regional Parliament 69 3 3 20 November 2015 Brussels UnitedAssembly(FR language)(NL language) 53 3 1 14 0 2 17 June 2015 FlemishParliament (regional)(community) 83 18 88 19 24 June 2015 COCOF Assembly 71 0 8 24 July 2014 National Assembly 91 0 0 9 September 2014 28 July 2014 Presidential Assent Granted 12 December 2014 Parliament 119 0 0 24 March 2015 18 December 2014 Presidential Assent Granted 7 May 2015 House of Representatives Approved 18 August 2015 22 May 2015 Presidential Assent Granted 18 March 2015 Senate 53 0 10 12 June 2015 9 April 2015 Chamber of Deputies 122 0 6 19 May 2015 Presidential Assent Granted 18 December 2014 Parliament 101 8 0 18 February 2015 4 November 2014 Assembly 62 0 0 12 January 2015 13 November 2014 Presidential Assent Granted European Union and EAEC 13 November 2014 European Parliament 535 94 44 19 April 2016 (EAEC)23 May 2016 (EU) Council of the European Union 10 March 2015 Parliament Approved 6 May 2015 24 April 2015 Presidential Assent Granted 3 March 2015 Senate Approved 3 July 2015 16 April 2015 National Assembly Approved 27 April 2015 Presidential Assent Granted 8 May 2015 Bundesrat Approved 22 July 2015 26 March 2015 Federal Diet Approved 27 May 2015 Presidential Assent Granted 18 November 2015 Parliament Approved 6 January 2016 24 November 2015Presidential Promulgation Granted 25 November 2014 National Assembly 133 0 6 7 April 2015 5 December 2014 Presidential Assent Granted Ireland 27 January 2015 Dáil Éireann 58 19 0 17 April 2015 26 November 2015 Senate 151 35 11 3 February 2016 29 July 2015 Chamber of Deputies 314 88 36 7 December 2015 Presidential Assent Granted 14 July 2014 Parliament 79 0 0 2 October 2014 18 July 2014 Presidential Assent Granted 8 July 2014 Parliament 84 0 1 29 July 2014 11 July 2014 Presidential Assent Granted 18 March 2015 Chamber of Deputies 55 2 0 12 May 2015 12 April 2015 Grand Ducal Promulgation Granted 21 August 2014 House of Representatives Approved 29 August 2014 2 July 2014 Parliament 59 4 0 23 July 2014 8 July 2014 Presidential Assent Granted 7 July 2015 Senate Adopted 21 September 2015 7 April 2015 House of Representatives Adopted 28 July 2015 Royal Promulgation Granted 18 December 2014 Senate 79 0 0 24 March 2015 5 December 2014 House of Representatives 420 0 0 29 December 2014 Presidential Assent Granted 20 March 2015 National Assembly Approved 13 May 2015 22 April 2015 Presidential Assent Granted 2 July 2014 Chamber of Deputies 284 1 1 14 July 2014 3 July 2014 Senate 122 0 0 9 July 2014 Presidential Assent Granted 23 September 2014 National Council 117 0 0 21 October 2014 16 October 2014 Presidential Assent Granted 13 May 2015 National Assembly 70 3 0 27 July 2015 21 May 2015 Presidential Assent Granted 27 May 2015 Senate Approved 28 July 2015 30 April 2015 Congress of Deputies 303 0 1 Royal Assent Granted 26 November 2014 Parliament 249 44 0 9 January 2015 9 March 2015 House of Lords Approved 8 April 2015 23 February 2015 House of Commons Approved 19 March 2015 Royal Assent Order Made
The 31 parties are Moldova, the EU and Euratom and the 28 EU members.
Ratification notes
Malta The ratification was performed in accordance with article 4(2)(b) of the Maltese European Union Act, which reads that: "Provided that with regard to treaties and international conventions which Malta may accede to as Member State of the European Union, and treaties and international conventions which Malta is bound to ratify in its own name or on behalf of the European Community by virtue of its membership within the European Union, these shall come into force one month following their being submitted in order to be discussed by the Standing Committee on Foreign and European Affairs." As the treaty was submitted to the Standing Committee on Foreign and European Affairs on 21 July 2014, the treaty came into force as part of the Maltese legislation on 21 August 2014.
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland The ratification was based on The European Union (Definition of Treaties) (Association Agreement) (Moldova) Order 2015, made in accordance with section 1(3) of the European Communities Act 1972, after having been approved by a resolution of each House of Parliament.
Application in the United Kingdom The agreement applied to the United Kingdom as an EU-member state until Brexit on 31 January 2020. During the transition period that followed Brexit, the agreement until 31 December 2020, the agreement still applied to the UK. The UK and Moldova announced on 8 October 2020 an agreement replacing the EU-Moldova Association Agreement between them, which was provisionally applied from 1 January 2021.
Later developments In 2014 Russia imposed retaliatory trade restrictions on farming exports from Moldova in response to their signing of the Association Agreement with the EU. Amongst other measures, on August 31, Russia suspended 19 provisions of the Russia-Moldova CIS Free Trade Agreement signed in 2011.
Igor Dodon, who was elected President of Moldova in November 2016, campaigned on holding a referendum on cancelling the agreement in favour of joining the Eurasian Economic Union.
See also European Union–Moldova Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area Moldova–European Union relations Accession of Moldova to the European Union Ukraine–European Union Association Agreement Georgia–European Union Association Agreement Armenia–European Union Association Agreement
References
External links EU-Moldova Association Agreement – the complete texts from the European External Action Service