IRZ is supporting the EU legal harmonisation in the Republic of Moldova

Details: Published: May 10, 2023

Moldau

The granting of the EU accession candidate country status on 23 June 2022 has provided impetus to the reform efforts of the pro-European government. The IRZ is supporting the Republic of Moldova with European integration.

The IRZ has previously been involved in major reforms in the country, such as the drafting of an Administrative Code, which includes an Administrative Procedure Act and an Administrative Process Act and was adopted in 2018. The IRZ resumed cooperation with the Republic of Moldova in November 2022. Following the consultations on the Administrative Code, experts prepared an expert opinion on this topic in Q1 2023. Further training for judges and civil servants on the implementation of the Administrative Code is planned.

In December 2022, a working visit was held in Berlin for members of the Parliament's Committee on Legal Affairs on the implementation of Chapters 23 and 24 of the Acquis Communautaire. A similar working visit is also planned for a delegation from the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Moldova at the end of May 2023.

In addition, the IRZ has initiated consultations on the further reform of the Moldovan penitentiary system, which will also build on the earlier cooperation. The focus is on aspects of an individual rehabilitation plan and resocialisation. Further consultations are planned on reforming enforcement law, strengthening state-guaranteed mediation, drafting legislation in the field of arbitration, the notarial system and much more.

All these measures are aimed at aligning national law with European Union law and are guided by the EU Commission's opinion on the Republic of Moldova's application for membership of the European Union last summer. In addition to Moldova, Ukraine was also granted EU candidate status and Georgia was granted the prospect of EU accession.

The German Bundestag has provided additional funding to the IRZ to support the EU legal harmonisation in the three states. The IRZ will use this funding in particular for trilateral measures: a working visit for a delegation from the Republic of Moldova, Ukraine and Georgia on the topic of combating corruption and money laundering is planned in cooperation with the Ministry of Justice of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia in June. The IRZ is organising another trilateral working visit in late summer on the independence of the judiciary in Lower Saxony (also in cooperation with the Ministry of Justice) and Berlin, and a parliamentary conference at the German Bundestag with a content focus on parliamentary law, participation in civil society in parliamentary work, and preventing and combating corruption.

In view of the numerous attempts to destabilise the Republic of Moldova, the IRZ is particularly concerned to support the country in its reforms of the rule of law.