Moldovan deputy PM for European integration says 2027 to be a crucial year for reforms' agenda, Moldova must show results

The 2027 year will be an important one for Moldova’s reforms agenda in the process of joining the European Union. The authorities aim to advance the alignment of national legislation with the EU acquis and demonstrate that reforms are being implemented and producing tangible results for citizens. Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration Cristina Gherasimov has made statements to this effect at the Shadow Cabinet programme, aired on Jurnal TV.

According to the official, the European Commission is prepared to examine the closure of more negotiating chapters in 2027, particularly the ones included in the roadmaps. At the same time, Brussels has indicated that it could also consider other chapters, if the country shows that it is ready.

“2027 will be a crucial year for our reforms’ agenda. We have a green light from the Commission, meaning that it is open to closing the chapters mentioned in the roadmap. This is an extraordinary recognition for us, but also a tremendous amount of work that state institutions must undertake. At the same time, the Commission says that, if we are prepared for more chapters, it can consider more chapters as well,” Cristina Gherasimov said.

The deputy PM noted that, by the end of this year, the authorities would update the National Accession Programme, which will include the recommendations and benchmarks established following the opening of the negotiating chapters. Priorities for next year include legislative alignment, strengthening institutional capacities and achieving visible results.

Asked about the main concerns regarding the fulfillment of the tasks set for 2027, Gherasimov emphasized that the success of the accession process depended on the involvement of all actors of the society, not only the government.

“We need unity, because the government alone cannot implement the reforms’ agenda and bring about the necessary transformation. We must work as a team: the private sector, civil society—in other words, everyone must work in the same direction and speak with one voice. I very much hope that we will have the kind of teamwork we have had so far, and even better,” the official said.

As for the negotiating chapters that could be examined for provisional closure in the first half of 2027, the deputy prime minister believes that Moldova is well prepared, as the institutions have already worked on the necessary reforms. However, she stressed that simply harmonizing legislation was not enough.

“The Commission has a very, very rigorous monitoring and evaluation mechanism, and closing a chapter means not only legislative alignment, but also an audit mission that will come and speak with the people directly responsible for certain tasks that they must undertake as a member state. We must demonstrate that we have institutional capacity, that we are applying European legislation and that it is producing concrete results for citizens,” Cristina Gherasimov said.

The greatest challenges are expected in the chapters with a high degree of technical complexity and those requiring considerable investment. They include Chapter 27—Environment and Chapter 15—Energy, even though the latter is among the most advanced.

The official emphasized that implementing reforms in these areas would require significant financial resources and the involvement of both the authorities and the private sector.

On November 4, 2026, the European Commission presented the European Union’s annual Enlargement Package, which includes an assessment of the progress made by the ten candidate and potential candidate countries seeking membership. Moldova is among the four countries that have made the most progress in the European integration process, alongside Montenegro, Albania and Ukraine.

The Commission confirmed that the country met the conditions for opening all negotiating clusters and noted significant progress in aligning legislation with the EU acquis and in rule-of-law reforms. At the same time, the document sets the ambitious, but achievable objective of provisionally concluding the accession negotiations at the beginning of 2028, provided that the current pace of reforms is maintained.