Meeting in Luxembourg. Moldova officially begins EU accession negotiations

The Republic of Moldova could mark today one of the most important stages of its European path. In Luxembourg, the second Intergovernmental Conference Republic of Moldova – European Union is taking place, a meeting at which the official opening of the first accession negotiation cluster, entitled “Fundamental values”, is expected. The delegation of the Republic of Moldova is led by Prime Minister Alexandru Munteanu.

The event takes place after, on 12 June, all 27 European Union member states approved the common negotiating position for opening the first cluster of chapters with the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine. The decision was welcomed by the leadership of the European institutions, which announced that the first cluster is to be launched during the meeting in Luxembourg.

President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen announced at the end of last week that, through its decision, the European Union has taken a major step in the accession process.

“Cluster 1 covers the fundamental values and principles on which the European Union is built, from the rule of law to strong democratic institutions. The EU’s decision represents a recognition of the determination, courage and sustained work demonstrated by both countries in promoting reforms, even in the face of immense challenges,” said Ursula von der Leyen.

She also underlined that “enlargement remains one of the greatest success stories of the European Union and the best investment in our common future.”

“Enlargement is a strategic choice. The European Union’s offer of peace, stability and opportunities is unmatched. By bringing our nations closer together, we strengthen peace, security and prosperity across the European continent. In a world marked by growing uncertainty, a larger European Union is in our common interest,” added Ursula von der Leyen.

Today in Luxembourg, the delegation of the Republic of Moldova is led by Prime Minister Alexandru Munteanu and includes representatives of the institutions responsible for the European integration process.

The opening of the “Fundamental values” cluster will mark the transition of the Republic of Moldova to the stage of effective negotiations on aligning national legislation with European Union norms. This is considered one of the most important chapters of the accession process, as it concerns areas such as the rule of law, judicial independence, the fight against corruption, the functioning of democratic institutions, public administration and the respect for fundamental rights.

The Republic of Moldova submitted its application for accession to the European Union on 3 March 2022, in the context of the war launched by the Russian Federation against Ukraine. On 23 June 2022, the country obtained the status of candidate state, and in December 2023 the leaders of the European Union decided to open accession negotiations.

The first Intergovernmental Conference Republic of Moldova – European Union took place on 25 June 2024, marking the official launch of the negotiation process and of the screening phase of national legislation. Over the last two years, the authorities in Chisinau and the European institutions have analysed the compatibility of Moldovan legislation with the EU acquis, a process that has allowed the transition to the next stage of negotiations.

Political analyst Mihai Isac said that from a formal point of view, accession negotiations were already launched on 25 June 2024, with the holding of the first Intergovernmental Conference Republic of Moldova – EU. However, so far the process has not entered the substantial phase of effective negotiations on concrete chapters and sectors. “For this reason, the opening of the first cluster represents a particularly important moment, marking the transition from the symbolic and procedural stage to the actual negotiation of the conditions of accession. The first cluster is also considered the most sensitive in the whole process. It includes key areas such as the rule of law, justice, fundamental rights, the functioning of democratic institutions, public procurement and financial control. In the current methodology of EU enlargement, this cluster opens first and closes last, because it reflects a candidate state’s capacity to implement and comply with European norms. For the Republic of Moldova, the opening of Cluster 1 would represent a confirmation that reforms in the fields of justice, public administration and combating corruption are considered sufficiently advanced to allow the transition to the next stage of negotiations,” the expert noted.

Isac pointed out that, during a recent visit to Chisinau, European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos stated that the Republic of Moldova has advanced in its preparations for accession and that, if the current pace of reforms is maintained, all thematic clusters could be opened by the summer of this year.

“For the Republic of Moldova, this step has a double significance. On the one hand, it represents a recognition of the progress made in recent years, in a complex regional context marked by the war in Ukraine, energy crises and multiple hybrid threats. On the other hand, the opening of negotiations on the first cluster marks the beginning of a much more demanding stage. From now on, the European institutions will no longer assess only the commitments and political will of the authorities in Chisinau, but also the concrete results of the reforms: the application of laws, the efficient functioning of institutions, the credibility of the judicial system, the fight against corruption and the predictability of the economic and administrative environment. In this sense, the opening of the first cluster would represent not only a political victory for the Republic of Moldova, but also the assumption of a major commitment. The country is entering a decisive stage of the accession process, in which every reform and every concrete result will directly influence the speed with which it will move closer to EU membership,” the expert concluded.

The decision to open the cluster was also welcomed by Daniel Vodă, associate expert in foreign policy and strategic communication at the Institute for European Policies and Reforms (IPRE). He stressed that “this is a strong signal that our country is moving forward, ever closer to the EU.”

“Very good news for the Republic of Moldova. The European Union is taking an important step forward: the member states have agreed to open the first cluster of negotiations with Moldova and Ukraine. The ‘Fundamentals’ cluster is the foundation of the accession process: rule of law, democratic institutions and fundamental rights. It is a clear recognition of the work done and a strong signal that Moldova is moving forward, ever closer to the European Union,” said Daniel Vodă.

In September 2025, the Republic of Moldova completed the bilateral screening with the EU – a stage that analyses the compatibility of national legislation with the European acquis. In mid‑December 2025, the country started technical discussions on the first negotiation chapters.

The Cypriot Presidency of the Council of the European Union launched, on 3 June this year, preparations for the official opening of Cluster 1 in the accession negotiations with the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine. Cluster 1, called “Fundamental values”, is the first group of negotiation chapters in the process of accession to the European Union and includes areas such as the rule of law, the functioning of democratic institutions, public administration reform, the judicial system and fundamental rights.