Moldova opens final EU accession talks
Technical negotiations concerning the final three chapters required for the Republic of Moldova's accession to the European Union are set to begin on Tuesday, March 17, in Brussels. This announcement was made by Nicu Popescu, the special envoy for European affairs and strategic partnerships for President Maia Sandu.
The opening of negotiations on these chapters marks an important stage for our country in the European integration process, but it is not a decisive one, stated former Foreign Minister Nicu Popescu during the show "La 360 de grade" on Radio Moldova.
The process of accession to the European Union involves tens, hundreds, and sometimes even thousands of actions across various fields. Each stage of the negotiations should be viewed in a balanced manner, without dramatization or excessive triumphalism, Popescu added.
"These technical negotiations are significant; they represent a very positive step. At the same time, many advancements have been made in the Republic of Moldova. Necessary measures have been adopted, the community acquis has been adjusted, and essential reforms are underway, which will continue in the future," he emphasized on the national radio station.
We remind you that the Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration, Cristina Gherasimov, and the European Commissioner for Enlargement, Martha Kos, will announce the opening of technical negotiations on the last three groups of chapters for the Republic of Moldova's accession to the European Union on March 17 in Brussels.
According to officials in Chisinau, the European Commission will begin complex monitoring of our country's progress in each chapter after this stage.
The Republic of Moldova has made significant progress over the past year regarding the chapters of accession to the EU. The conclusions published by the Danish Presidency of the Council of the European Union following the General Affairs Council meeting on December 16, 2025, confirmed that all six negotiation clusters are ready to be officially opened with the Republic of Moldova.
The Republic of Moldova submitted its application to join the European Union on March 3, 2022. By June of that year, the country was granted candidate status. In December 2023, the European Council decided to begin accession negotiations.
Negotiations were officially launched in June 2024, followed by a bilateral screening process. By the end of 2025, technical negotiations on the first clusters were set to begin.
The accession process for the Republic of Moldova to the European Union involves aligning national legislation with 35 negotiation chapters, organized into six thematic groups called clusters. These cover a wide range of areas vital to state functioning, from the economy and justice to environmental protection.
