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Moldova

The Republic of Moldova applied for EU membership in March 2022 and was granted candidate status in June 2022. Accession negotiations were formally opened in June 2024. The EU and Moldova also cooperate in the context of the Eastern Partnership.

Enlargement

EU membership application

On 3 March 2022, Moldova applied for EU membership.

On 17 June 2022, the European Commission issued its opinion on the application for EU membership.

On 23 June 2022, the European Council granted Moldova candidate status. It invited the European Commission to report to the Council on the fulfilment of the conditions specified in the Commission's opinion on the membership application.

Accession negotiations

In November 2023, the European Commission issued a recommendation to open accession negotiations with Moldova. In December 2023, EU leaders decided to open accession negotiations with Moldova and invited the Council to adopt the negotiation framework once the relevant steps set out in the Commission’s report of 8 November 2023 had been taken. 

In accordance with the revised enlargement methodology, the Council approved the negotiating framework on 21 June 2024 and, four days later, the EU held the first intergovernmental conference with Moldova to open accession negotiations with the country.

Accession conference meetings 

Accession negotiations take place at intergovernmental conferences (often called 'accession conferences') between ministers and ambassadors of the EU member states and the candidate. The negotiations cover the body of common rights and law (the 'EU acquis') and are divided into different chapters, or clusters of chapters, covering different policy fields. Accession conferences can be held at either ministerial or deputy level.

On 25 June 2024, the EU held its first accession conference with Moldova, formally opening the membership negotiations.

At the second EU-Moldova accession conference, held on 15 June 2026, the parties opened negotiations on cluster 1, the 'fundamentals' cluster. This covers the functioning of democratic institutions, public administration reform and economic criteria, and includes the following negotiating chapters:

  • chapter 23 – judiciary and fundamental rights
  • chapter 24 – justice, freedom and security
  • chapter 5 – public procurement
  • chapter 18 – statistics
  • chapter 32 – financial control

During the conference, the EU set interim benchmarks for cluster 1 and for chapters 23 and 24 that need to be met before negotiations on that cluster can move forward. The EU also set benchmarks for the provisional closure of chapters 5, 18 and 32.

At European Council meetings prior to the second accession conference, EU leaders repeatedly called on the Council to open the negotiation clusters without delay, starting with the fundamentals cluster, in line with the enlargement methodology and the merit-based approach.

 

Annual progress review

Every year, the Council takes stock of progress made in each of the EU candidates and partners, including Moldova, on their European path.

On 16 December 2025, the Danish Council presidency issued conclusions that were politically supported by 26 of the EU member states.

Eastern Partnership

Parallel to the enlargement process, the EU and Moldova also cooperate to strengthen political and economic relations, including through the Eastern Partnership.

EU-Moldova association agreement

On 1 July 2016, the EU-Moldova association agreement came into full force, following its provisional application from 1 September 2014. The association agreement allows Moldova to benefit from a free trade area (Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement).

Association Council

The Association Council is a formal body established under the EU-Moldova association agreement to monitor and supervise the implementation of the agreement.

The ninth meeting of the EU-Moldova Association Council, which took place on 4 June 2025, focused on Moldova’s EU accession process, political dialogue and reforms, cooperation and convergence in the field of foreign and security policy, and economic and sectoral cooperation.

Visa liberalisation

Visa liberalisation entered into force on 28 April 2014. The visa-free regime with Moldova facilitates travel, business and people-to-people contacts. It is an example of the progress that has been achieved in enhancing mobility with Eastern Partnership partners.

Roaming

On 1 January 2026, Moldova was brought into the EU’s ‘roam like at home’ area. This means that Moldovans in the EU and EU citizens in Moldova are now able to make calls, send texts and use mobile data without additional charges.

The measure will help further integrate Moldova into the EU single market, one of the main aims of the EU-Moldova association agreement.

EU-Moldova trade relations

Trade relations between the EU and Moldova are determined by the free trade area set up under the deep and comprehensive free trade agreement (DCFTA) part of the association agreement.

Specifically, the DCFTA:

  • eliminates import duties for most goods traded between the EU and Moldova
  • provides for broad mutual access to trade in services for both partners

Additionally, both EU and Moldovan companies can create a subsidiary or a branch office on a non-discriminatory basis. This means they are treated as domestic companies in the partner's market when setting up a business.

Top traded goods between the EU and Moldova include machinery and appliances, products from chemicals or related industries, transport equipment and mineral products.

Trade figures

The EU is Moldova’s biggest trade partner by far, accounting for over half of its total trade in goods in 2025, which generated a turnover of over €7 billion. The second Moldova’s trading partner is China accounting for over 13% of its trade exchange, followed by Ukraine (10%).

The proportion of Moldova’s goods trade with Russia has fallen significantly and now represents only 2.2% of Moldova’s total trade in goods.

Text version
  • EU: 55.9%
  • China: 13.1%
  • Ukraine: 10.3%
  • Türkiye: 7.2%
  • Russia: 2.2%
  • Others: 11.3%

Financial support for Moldova

Macro-financial assistance

The EU is the largest provider of financial assistance to Moldova. Since 2021, more than €2.2 billion has been mobilised.

On 4 April 2022, following Russia's military aggression against Ukraine and its detrimental effects on Moldova’s economic and financial stability, the Council decided to provide a new macro-financial assistance operation of €150 million in the form of loans and grants to the Republic of Moldova.

The disbursement started in 2022 and consists of three tranches to be released between 2022 and 2024. 

Growth plan

To help support Moldova's integration into the EU, the Commission presented a growth plan for Moldova on 10 October 2024. The plan aims to boost socio-economic convergence with the EU and accelerate fundamental reforms. It is based on three pillars:

  • supporting Moldova's socio-economic and fundamental reforms
  • enhancing Moldova’s access to the EU's single market
  • increasing financial support in 2025-2027 through a dedicated Reform and Growth Facility for Moldova

On 18 March 2025, the Council gave its final green light on the financial pillar of the plan, the Reform and Growth Facility. The facility will support Moldova from 2025 to 2027 and is expected to provide up to €385 million in grants and €1.5 billion in loans.

This is the largest EU financial support package since Moldova's independence and comes on top of other substantial EU support to the country.

Security and defence

Security and defence partnership

The EU and Moldova signed a security and defence partnership on 21 May 2024, during the eighth EU-Moldova Association Council. Moldova is the first country to sign such a partnership with the EU.

This partnership boosts dialogue and cooperation in areas such as:

  • countering hybrid threats
  • cyber-security
  • fighting disinformation
  • training and capacity building

It also paves the way towards exploring new avenues and areas of cooperation on security and defence.

EU Partnership Mission in Moldova

The EU launched the Partnership Mission in the Republic of Moldova (EUPM) in May 2023. The mission’s mandate was last extended until 31 May 2027.

The objective of this civilian mission is to enhance the resilience of the country's security sector in the areas of crisis management and hybrid threats, including cybersecurity, and countering foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI).

EUPM helps Moldova and the region as a whole strengthen their stability and security.

European Peace Facility

Between 2021 and 2025, the EU allocated €197 million of financing through the European Peace Facility (EPF) to support the modernisation and operational effectiveness of the Moldovan armed forces. As a result, Moldova is the second-largest beneficiary of European Peace Facility assistance, after Ukraine.

Support following Russia's military aggression against Ukraine

Humanitarian aid and civil protection

Since the start of Russia's war against Ukraine, more than 1.8 million people fleeing the war have entered Moldova, which still hosts over 127 000 Ukrainian refugees. Between 2022 and 2025, the EU has allocated €84 million in humanitarian assistance for Moldova.

Moldova activated the EU civil protection mechanism to support Ukrainians arriving in Moldova. EU member states have offered various forms of assistance to Moldova, including shelter, hygiene kits and power generators.

Border management

The EU signed a status agreement with Moldova regarding operational activities carried out by Frontex. The agreement allows Frontex to deploy teams to assist Moldovan authorities with border management tasks such as registration and border checks.

Temporary trade liberalisation

In 2022, the Council adopted a regulation temporarily liberalising trade in the seven Moldovan agricultural products that are not yet fully liberalised: tomatoes, garlic, table grapes, apples, cherries, plums and grape juice. This measure was last extended until 24 June 2024, and meant that Moldova could at least double its exports of these products to the EU without any tariffs.

On 18 September 2025, the Council decided to increase market access for those seven products. The aim is to move from a temporary regime to a long-term agreement that provides economic stability and boosts trade flows, while protecting sensitive EU farm sectors.

This agreement will include robust safeguards against market distortion. Market access is conditional and will be based on Moldova’s gradual alignment with specific EU agrifood standards by 2027.

Energy

The electricity grids of Ukraine and Moldova were successfully synchronised with the continental European grid on 16 March 2022.

Sanctions in response to actions destabilising Moldova

On 28 April 2023, the Council adopted a new legal framework for targeted restrictive measures, which allows the EU to impose sanctions against persons responsible for supporting or implementing actions which undermine or threaten:

  • the sovereignty and independence of the Republic of Moldova
  • the country’s democracy, rule of law, stability or security

This legal framework for targeted restrictive measures was adopted at the request of the Republic of Moldova.

Under this regime of sanctions, the EU can for instance target individuals who obstruct or undermine the democratic political process (such as the holding of elections) or attempt to overthrow the constitutional order, including through acts of violence. Future restrictive measures could also target individuals who engage in serious financial misconduct concerning public funds and the unauthorised export of capital.

The sanctions regime applies to 29 individuals and 5 entities and was last extended until 29 April 2027.

Sanctions consist of an asset freeze, a prohibition on making funds available to the sanctioned individuals and entities, and a ban on travel to the EU for the natural persons sanctioned.

Efforts to destabilise the Republic of Moldova have noticeably increased since the beginning of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine and represent a direct threat to the stability and security of the external borders of the EU.

Related documents and publications

See also

Topics

Last review: 15 June 2026