Joint Consultative Committee Meeting // Deputy Prime Minister: Closer we get to EU, more urgent it is to achieve good results at local level

Local authorities’ involvement in the European integration process must become deeper, more systematic, and more implementation-oriented, Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration Cristina Gherasimov said at the launch of the Joint Consultative Committee between the Republic of Moldova and the European Committee of the Regions.


“The closer we get to becoming part of the European Union, the more urgent it is to achieve good results at the local level and improve citizens’ lives. Most of the European acquis is implemented at the local level, and European citizens judge the success of integration by the changes they see in their communities – better public services, roads, water and sewerage systems, business opportunities, and jobs,” Cristina Gherasimov said.


The Deputy Prime Minister noted that local authorities are not only beneficiaries of the European integration process, but also key actors in preparing communities for accession. In this context, the objective is to strengthen administrative and fiscal capacities, accelerate digitalization, and, in particular, prepare local administrations to use European funds efficiently.


“We need to prepare local authorities not only to understand European regulations, but also to understand the changes that EU membership will bring and the opportunities communities will have – from infrastructure and healthcare services to education and economic development. Following the screening process and consultations with local authorities, we identified a series of objectives that need to be achieved in order to strengthen local public administration,” the official said.


Cristina Gherasimov stressed that the new Joint Consultative Committee will bring European experience and expertise closer to the local level and help strengthen ties between authorities in the Republic of Moldova and those in EU member states.


“Mayors and local representatives are closest to citizens; they know best what works and what people expect. They are key actors not only in implementing changes, but also in explaining the European integration process and the concrete results it can bring to every community. European integration is not only about Chișinău and Brussels, but about the involvement of every community. This Joint Consultative Committee is not merely another formal dialogue platform; it will help us become EU members in the future,” Cristina Gherasimov concluded.


President Maia Sandu emphasized that local public administration plays an essential role in community development and in the Republic of Moldova’s European path. In her view, closer ties with the European Union must produce concrete results for citizens, including better public services and improved living conditions.


“Moldova, our regions and our localities have lost a large part of their population because living standards did not meet people’s expectations and were not at the same level as the living standards they found elsewhere. This population decline led to lower revenues for local authorities, creating a major problem that must be stopped. We must halt these trends by creating better living conditions for the population and increasing the resilience of local authorities. To achieve this, we need appropriate public administration structures equipped with adequate budgets. This is the objective of the administrative-territorial reform currently being implemented in the Republic of Moldova,” the President said.


The Joint Consultative Committee between the Republic of Moldova and the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) is holding its first meeting in Chișinău today, marking a new stage in cooperation between local and regional authorities from the Republic of Moldova and those from the European Union. The meeting is attended by representatives of the European Committee of the Regions from Brussels and Strasbourg, mayors and district presidents from the Republic of Moldova, as well as representatives of local authorities from Ukraine.