Deputy Premier after official opening of first EU negotiation cluster: More work lies ahead, but we are determined to maintain pace, deliver results, and achieve national objective

The Republic of Moldova officially opened accession negotiations with the European Union last night for the first group of chapters, marking a new stage in its European path. Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration Cristina Gherasimov said that an intensive period of work lies ahead.

Authorities are determined to maintain the pace of reforms and to make steady progress in the accession process.

“More work lies ahead, but we are determined to maintain the pace, deliver results, and achieve the national objective: for Moldova to become an EU member state, and for citizens to enjoy peace, freedom, opportunities, and prosperity,” the official message reads.

The official thanked the Cypriot Presidency of the Council of the European Union and the partners in Nicosia for the support provided during this period, as well as all the member states for supporting the European path of the Republic of Moldova.

“I thank my colleagues from the Bureau for European Integration and the Mission of the Republic of Moldova to the European Union, as well as the institutions involved in implementing the reforms under Cluster 1,” Gherasimov said.

Yesterday’s intergovernmental conference in Luxembourg marked the official launch of the Republic of Moldova’s accession negotiations for Cluster 1 – Fundamental Values, which includes essential chapters on the rule of law, the functioning of democratic institutions, justice reform, fundamental rights, and the fight against corruption. Accession negotiations cover 33 chapters, organized into six thematic groups (clusters).

The Fundamental Values group is the first to be opened and the last to be closed, being considered the backbone of the entire process. A central role in this group is played by Chapters 23 and 24, dedicated to the rule of law – the functioning of the judiciary, the fight against corruption, fundamental rights, and state security. These are considered the core of the accession negotiations. For these chapters, the European Union sets interim benchmarks, which represent the basic conditions that the Republic of Moldova must meet. The pace of the entire process depends on meeting these benchmarks, since the provisional closure of any chapter cannot take place before these conditions are fulfilled.

The official opening of negotiations on a group of chapters takes place within intergovernmental conferences, and a chapter is provisionally closed only after the agreed conditions are met. All chapters must be closed before the completion of the accession process. In September 2025, the Republic of Moldova completed the bilateral screening with the EU – a stage that assesses the compatibility of national legislation with the European acquis. In mid-December 2025, the country launched technical discussions on the first negotiation chapters.

The Republic of Moldova submitted its application for accession to the European Union on 3 March 2022, and on 23 June 2022 it obtained candidate country status, with a recommendation to continue reforms. In November 2023, European assessments confirmed Moldova’s progress and recommended the opening of accession negotiations, a decision approved by EU leaders in December 2023. On 25 June 2024, accession negotiations officially began.