EU Agriculture Commissioner on Moldovan wines: "You have the quantity and quality to succeed globally"
Investments in agriculture offer farmers in the Republic of Moldova the opportunity to access the European Union market, and significant progress has been made in this direction in recent years, said European Commissioner for Agriculture and Food, Christophe Hansen, in an interview with Teleradio-Moldova. At the same time, the European official emphasized that Moldovan fruits and wines have exceptional taste and quality, being appreciated by consumers in the European Union.
About 65% of the Republic of Moldova's exports already go to the European Union, and this volume has grown significantly over the past 10 years, which shows that the products are of high quality, stated the European Commissioner for Agriculture and Food. According to the official, the Republic of Moldova will benefit from the experience of other EU member states, which will be advantageous for Moldovan farmers.
"Of course, we are in an accession process, and the closer the Republic of Moldova gets to the European Union, the easier it will be to obtain funding for these types of projects. The next step will come with the next multiannual financial framework, where Moldova is now a candidate country and will benefit from even more funds. Ideally, you should achieve full membership status, which would allow us to be fully involved in infrastructure projects financed through regional policy and cohesion funds, which will be very important. Therefore, I hope the Republic of Moldova will continue on this path to join the European Union quickly and will make efforts in this regard, because the closer you get, the better we can help," emphasized Christophe Hansen.
The European official also mentioned that the wine sector has a promising future for the Republic of Moldova, but for Moldovan wine to become more recognized, promotion measures on the international market are needed.
"I would say that, indeed, I have discovered Moldovan wine; you have the quantity and quality necessary to succeed on global markets. I believe this is the first point. So, in terms of competitiveness, those I visited have no problems in this regard. I would even say they are more competitive than many European producers within the EU. The other aspect is, of course, how to become visible in third countries, such as Japan, Brazil, India, where there are consumers. And, of course, I think it is very important to work on this visibility, to be recognized as a quality wine from this region. It takes a lot of effort. We are doing this in the European Union through agri-food trade missions," said the European Commissioner for Teleradio-Moldova.
The European Commissioner for Agriculture and Food, Christophe Hansen, visited the Republic of Moldova for two days, on September 1–2, where he toured several orchards, wineries, and other agricultural enterprises. He also held discussions with farmers and representatives of industry associations, who informed him about the challenges they face—from drought to adapting local products to European market standards and requirements. Special emphasis was placed on modernizing agriculture and increasing competitiveness to meet EU standards.
