Moldovan justice minister, at annual conference on EU enlargement, says government reaffirms commitment to continuing justice reforms

The government reaffirms its commitment to continuing the justice reforms undertaken as part of the negotiations on joining the European Union. During 2026, 80 pieces of legislation were drafted, transposing 116 European directives and regulations. Justice Minister Vladislav Cojuhari today made statements to this effect at the Annual Conference on the Enlargement of the European Union – 2026 Enlargement Package, held in Chisinau.

The official highlighted the substantial amount of work carried out by the institutions responsible for reforming the justice system, as part of the process of aligning national legislation with European standards.

“The opening of the first cluster, the largest one, in June represented both an achievement and a major responsibility assumed by all of us. We still have many activities to carry out in all these areas, but we are already talking about actions related to closing the negotiations. During 2026, we managed to draft 80 pieces of legislation transposing 116 directives and regulations of the European Union. Preparing a set of materials requires the examination of approximately 700 pages of information. Therefore, the pressure we faced was quite substantial, but at the same time, it allowed us to learn, appreciate time and human resources, and draft legislation of the highest quality,” Vladislav Cojuhari said.

For his part, Chairperson of the Superior Council of Magistracy (CSM) Sergiu Caraman stressed that the European Commission’s report on Moldova represented a realistic assessment of the progress made by the country in the justice field.

“It is an assessment that we must approach responsibly. The report’s central message is that we have nevertheless managed to build an important part of the institutional architecture of the reform, but we must accelerate its transformation into concrete and tangible results for our citizens. Within the CSM, we regard this assessment as an instrument of accountability, but also as a means of establishing priorities for the coming period. The most important finding of this report is the link between the shortage of human resources, the attractiveness of the profession, and the effectiveness of the justice system. We cannot ask the courts to reduce their backlog in examining cases, resolve complex files, comply with deadlines and ensure a significantly higher quality of the judgments they issue without providing them with the necessary institutional capacity. Nevertheless, we have positive results, including in the examination of administrative litigation cases at the level of first-instance courts. The resolution rate increased from 101 per cent in 2024 to 148 per cent in 2025, while the average time for examining an administrative litigation case fell from 476 days to 209 days. These results should not be generalized, as the report also shows that, for example, at the Supreme Court of Justice, the time required to examine criminal cases increased, reaching 1,018 days in 2025. Thus, we have different developments among case categories, as well as between levels of jurisdiction,” Sergiu Caraman said.

Meanwhile, Chairperson of the Superior Council of Prosecutors (CSP) Dumitru Obada emphasized that the institution’s priority for this year and the first half of next year was to complete the competitions for filling chief prosecutor positions.

“At present, the CSP is fully constituted, with members who have undergone the vetting procedure, and we are performing our duties at full capacity. Nevertheless, there are numerous problems regarding the filling of vacant positions. For many years, we have faced the situation of interim appointments at the national level. There are more than 100 vacant positions in the prosecution system, but they are being exercised by chief prosecutors who hold both an operational prosecutor position and an interim chief prosecutor position. Therefore, the CSP’s priority for this year and the first half of next year is to complete the competitions for filling chief prosecutor positions. Consequently, we will free up almost 80 positions nationwide and will be able to appoint approximately 70 trainees of the National Institute of Justice who are listed in the register and waiting to be appointed. Work is underway in all areas. We are aware that only, through joint efforts, we will achieve the expected results,” Dumitru Obada said.

Veronica Rosca, Chairperson of the parliamentary legal commission for appointments and immunities, noted that the legislature was under pressure to adopt the requested measures, including the ones proposed by the Justice Ministry and other ministries in charge of the integration chapters.

“We are required to comply with the legislative procedure, while also maintaining the necessary pace, because European integration is not only a goal of the European Union, but also Moldova’s wish to demonstrate this progress. Moldova has made enormous strides. Therefore, this report proves this political will, as well as the work and dedication of all officials and employees. At the same time, the document confirms our historic obligation to lead Moldova into the European Union. In essence, the legislative plan reflects these commitments. Once Moldova has done its homework and adopted the strategic framework, we have no choice but to strictly comply with it, because these are our commitments to the citizens. What pleased me about this report is that it highlights efficiency and that progress has been made in all chapters. Once you demonstrate that you can accomplish these things, we will certainly meet in the same format in November 2027 and try to assess how we have implemented the commitments undertaken,” Veronica Rosca said.

The Annual Conference on the Enlargement of the European Union – 2026 Enlargement Package is taking place in Chisinau today. The event brings together representatives of national authorities, European institutions, EU member states, civil society and the media.

The first day of the conference will be dedicated to the 2026 Enlargement Package and the reforms required in the negotiation areas. On the second day, the conference will continue in the format of the European Integration Forum, with discussions on the role of the parliament, respect for the rule of law and the contribution of civil society and the media to the accession process.