Moldova aligns employment rules with EU standards: new rights for unemployed, cross-border workers

Moldova is taking a new step in the process of European integration, after the parliament adopted, in the second reading, amendments to the Law on Promoting Employment and Unemployment Insurance. The new provisions align the national legislation with European Union’s rules in the field of coordination of social security systems and free movement of workers.

The draft law, developed by the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection, transposes European best practices and introduces new rights for citizens who work or are looking for a job in the European area.

Among the most important changes, there is the clear definition of the categories of foreign nationals who will be able to benefit from the employment services and measures provided by the National Employment Agency (ANOFM).

A novelty is the introduction of a new category of unemployment benefit recipients – frontier workers, meaning persons who work in a European Union member state, but live in another state and return home at least once a week.

At the same time, unemployed persons registered in Moldova who go to a member state of the European Union, the European Economic Area or a signatory state of the Schengen Agreement to look for a job will be able to keep their unemployment benefit for a period of up to three months.

The draft also includes measures aimed at young people. Thus, the minimum age for registration with unemployed status will be reduced from 16 to 15 years, in order to facilitate early access to the labour market, while respecting rules on the protection of minors.

In addition, the NEET youth category – people who are not employed, not in education and not in training – will be expanded from the current age range of 15–29 years to 15–34 years. The authors of the draft say that this change will allow more effective monitoring of the phenomenon and comparison of statistical indicators with the ones used in the European Union.

The new provisions also include the possibility of using training vouchers for non-formal education programmes, as well as facilitating access to subsidies for unemployed persons who start a business and create at least one job.

At the same time, the draft sets rules regarding the activity of private employment agencies from European Union member states that will temporarily provide services on the territory of Moldova.

According to the authors, the amendments aim to modernize employment policies, facilitate workers’ mobility and bring the legislation of Moldova closer to European standards, in the context of the country’s accession process to the European Union.

The new provisions will enter into force three months after publication in the Official Journal, except for certain provisions that will become applicable upon Moldova’s accession to the European Union.