The EU may revise the visa-free regime for Moldovan citizens in the event of non-compliance with the fight against corruption and money laundering. A reminder of these conditions for the first time in all years after the liberalization of the visa regime was included in the draft report of the European Parliament on the implementation of the Moldova Association Agreement with the EU. The document will be considered in the European Parliament on Wednesday, November 14. As stated by the Deputy Chairman of the European Parliament NM Heidi Hautala, the project is likely to be approved without changes..

A reminder of the possibility to suspend a visa-free regime with Moldova due to non-fulfillment of obligations is one of four “responses” of European parliamentarians to the development of the situation with democracy in Moldova. The same paragraph mentions the conditions for the suspension of the Association Agreement of Moldova with the EU.

The draft document published on the website of the European Parliament also states that the issue of renewal of EU macro-financial assistance to Moldova will be considered only after the parliamentary elections of 2019. And provided that they pass in accordance with internationally recognized standards and are evaluated by specialized international bodies..

All the support programs that the EU provides to Moldova will also remain frozen until “significant progress in democratic standards”. At the same time, the European Parliament intends to continue to provide financial support to Moldovan civil society, independent media, the private sector and local authorities..

In the draft report, MEPs remind that adherence to democratic principles is the basis of the Association Agreement, and a violation of this obligation may lead to the suspension of rights that the agreement provides. Including the rights of citizens of the Republic of Moldova to visa-free regime with the EU.

The European Parliament intends to take all these measures in response to the annulment of the results of the local elections in Chisinau, the lack of independent justice, politically motivated cases against the opposition, lawyers and human rights activists, pressure on journalists and media monopolization.

NM sent a request to the speaker of the European Parliament on Moldova, Petras Austrijevicius, with a request to clarify the recommendation on visa-free regime. Austrjevicius will present a report on the Republic of Moldova at a meeting of the European Parliament on Wednesday.

NM will also publish the report details soon..

As for the visa-free regime for Moldovan citizens, in December 2017, the European Commission prepared a monitoring report on how the countries with a visa-free regime with the EU are fulfilling their obligations to liberalize visas. The document said that Moldova needed urgent measures to ensure a sustainable fight against corruption and money laundering in order to continue to enjoy visa-free regime with the European Union.

The Foreign Ministry then stated that Moldova is successfully fulfilling its obligations, but the Moldovan authorities are ready to listen to the recommendations..

Source: newsmaker.