Siegfried Mureșan: “The first negotiation cluster for the Republic of Moldova’s EU accession could be opened by June 2026”

During the meeting of the Parliamentary Association Committee between the Republic of Moldova and the European Union, held in Brussels, the political timeline for launching accession negotiations was discussed.

The Committee’s co-chair, Romanian MEP Siegfried Mureșan, announced that the first negotiation cluster could be opened by June 2026, while the remaining five clusters are expected to be launched by the end of the same year, depending on political decisions adopted within the EU Council.

Parliamentary support for legislative alignment

Siegfried Mureșan emphasized that, beyond the opening of negotiations, it is essential for the European Parliament to support the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova in the process of aligning national legislation with European norms. In this regard, joint working groups composed of MEPs and Moldovan MPs will be established, organized according to the six negotiation clusters. These structures will play a role in strengthening cooperation between the two institutions and facilitating the adoption of the necessary legislative acts based on the outcomes of the accession negotiations.

Republic of Moldova’s objective: signing the treaty by 2028

The Chair of the Parliamentary Committee for European Integration, Marcel Spătari, reaffirmed the commitment of the authorities in Chișinău to align national legislation with European Union standards. According to him, the Republic of Moldova aims to sign the accession treaty by 2028. He stressed the importance of a clear political signal from EU member states and noted that maintaining uncertainty regarding the opening of negotiations is affecting the pace of reforms and institutional motivation.

Expectations regarding overcoming the political deadlock

The Vice-President of the European Parliament Delegation to the EU–Republic of Moldova Parliamentary Association Committee, Dan Barna, stated that the coming weeks could bring significant developments in the accession process. He expressed hope that Hungary’s opposition at the level of the EU Council will be overcome, allowing the official opening of political negotiations. Dan Barna emphasized that this stage is decisive for achieving the Republic of Moldova’s ambitious goal of completing negotiations by 2028 and becoming a member state of the European Union by 2030.