EU accession

Moldova records 'biggest progress' in EU accession, says Kos

The Republic of Moldova has registered the biggest progress in a single year on its path to joining the European Union, according to the annual EU Enlargement Package.

The report was presented by Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos to the European Parliament's Committee on Foreign Affairs on November 4. Chișinău's alignment with the EU's Common Foreign and Security Policy stands at 98 percent, and the country hopes to conclude chapter-based accession negotiations—which have not yet begun—by 2028.

The EU Enlargement Package for 2025, presented on Tuesday by European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos, highlights that the Republic of Moldova has advanced "with an accelerated speed" in its EU accession process and significantly deepened cooperation with the bloc, despite "continuous hybrid threats and attempts to destabilize the country."

"The Republic of Moldova is the country that has registered the biggest progress in a single year," Kos stated, emphasizing that the technical screening process with Chișinău and Kyiv has already been finalized.

According to the Commissioner, the European Commission aims for the Council to be ready to open all negotiation clusters with both states by the end of November.

The Commission reiterates that the EU accession process remains "merit-based": when candidate states deliver concrete results, the Union must respond with corresponding steps, the Commissioner declared.

In the same report, the Commission noted substantial progress, especially in Montenegro and Albania, countries that aim to finalize the chapter-based negotiations this year and next year, respectively. Meanwhile, Ukraine "has demonstrated its commitment to the European path," advancing essential reforms despite the difficulties generated by Russia's war of aggression.

Serbia, in contrast, has slowed the pace of reforms, and Georgia has recorded "unprecedented democratic regression in a candidate country," being considered by the Commission a country that is "a candidate in name only."

Commissioner Marta Kos stressed that 2026 will be "a moment of truth" for all candidate countries, where it will be seen whether they can transform technical progress into sustainable reforms anchored in democratic values and the rule of law (LSI). In parallel, the European Union is adapting its own European Policies (LSI) to be prepared for a new round of EU enlargement.

The Republic of Moldova was granted EU candidate status in June 2022, alongside Ukraine, and officially began the technical assessment (screening) process in 2023. Brussels has repeatedly recognized the efforts of the Chișinău authorities in consolidating the rule of law and aligning with European policies, despite external pressures.

Translation by Iurie Tataru

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