Moldova has made historic strides in its pursuit of European Union membership. Following the granting of candidate status in 2022 and the European Commission’s 2023 recommendation to open accession negotiations, Moldova now stands at a decisive juncture.
As Moldova advances, the EU must also prepare for a larger Union – strengthening its decision-making, budgetary capacity and absorption mechanisms to ensure that future enlargements enhance rather than strain the European project. This dual-track approach of internal EU readiness and candidate-country reform will be essential for credible and sustainable enlargement.
Amidst a challenging regional security environment, the Moldovan government remains committed to ambitious reforms aligned with EU standards. As formal accession talks approach, this event took place at a crucial moment – just weeks after the 28 September 2025 parliamentary elections and formation of a new government.
Jointly organised by the European Policy Centre (EPC) and the Moldova-EU Club, the discussion took stock of the European Commission’s 2025 Enlargement Report on Moldova, in particular with a focus on progress and challenges on Cluster 1: Fundamentals of the Accession Process. It also assessed the political and institutional momentum behind Moldova’s EU bid and explored how European institutions and stakeholders can continue to support Moldova’s transformative journey.
The event convened representatives from European institutions, diplomatic missions, think tanks, civil society, media, academia, and the Moldovan diaspora, providing a platform to discuss the next steps and challenges to EU enlargement policy.
Speakers: Cristina Gherasimov, Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration and Chief Negotiator for EU accession, Government of the Republic of Moldova; Gert Jan Koopman, Director-General, Directorate-General for Enlargement and Eastern Neighbourhood (ENEST), European Commission; Siegfried Muresan, Chair Delegation to the EU-Moldova Parliamentary Association Committee
Moderators: Amanda Paul, Senior Policy Analyst and Deputy Head of the Europe in the World Programme, European Policy Centre; Radu Danu, Сoordinator, Moldova-EU Club (Co-moderator)
