EU enlargement conference begins today in Chișinău

The annual conference on European Union enlargement opens on Monday, November 9, in Chișinău. The event will be inaugurated by President of the Republic of Moldova Maia Sandu and European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos during a meeting that will bring together representatives of national authorities, European institutions, EU member states, civil society and media. MOLDPRES news agency is a media partner of the event.

The conference will take place on November 9–10 at the Palace of the Republic under the theme “2026 Enlargement Package: Advancing EU Accession Negotiations through Reforms, Dialogue, Transparency and Social Cohesion.” According to the organizers, more than 700 participants have registered for the event, while 70 speakers will contribute to the discussions over the two days.



The first day of the conference will focus on the 2026 Enlargement Package and the reforms required in the negotiating areas. The program will include a presentation of the 2026 Enlargement Report for the Republic of Moldova, delivered by Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration Cristina Gherasimov, as well as a plenary session dedicated to the future of EU enlargement, accelerating the accession process and institutional reform.



The agenda will continue with thematic debates on judicial reform and the fight against corruption, local public administration reform, preparing the economy for integration into the European single market, the green transition, security and resilience, social protection, and the future of agriculture in the context of EU accession.

On the second day, the conference will continue in the format of the European Integration Forum, with discussions on the role of Parliament, respect for the rule of law, and the contribution of civil society and the media to the accession process.

The event is organized by the Bureau for European Integration, the Institute for European Policies and Reforms and Friedrich Ebert Foundation, in partnership with the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova’s Committee for European Integration, the Foreign Policy Association and the World Justice Project, with the support of several international partners.



On November 4, the European Commission presented the 2026 Enlargement Package, which includes an assessment of the Republic of Moldova’s progress in the EU accession process and a roadmap for the next stage of negotiations.

The Republic of Moldova has so far opened four of the six negotiating clusters, covering 24 chapters. The European Commission considers that the country has met the conditions required to open the final two clusters – Green Agenda and Sustainable Connectivity and Resources, Agriculture and Cohesion – and urges the member states to facilitate their opening by late 2026. The roadmap also states that the Republic of Moldova could provisionally close 25 negotiating chapters in 2027 if it maintains the pace of reforms and meets the established conditions.