Moldova's justice aligns with European standards: overview of achievements on path to EU accession

Moldova has recorded new progress in the process of European integration, particularly in the areas of justice, the fight against corruption and the protection of fundamental rights. The results achieved in fulfilling the interim benchmarks under Chapter 23, Judiciary and Fundamental Rights, were presented to representatives of the European Commission during the fourth monitoring meeting.

Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration Cristina Gherasimov has said that, since the last reporting, Moldova had advanced both in harmonizing national legislation and policies with European Union standards and in strengthening the institutions in the field.

“Since the most recent reporting, which took place at the end of June, Moldova has advanced both in aligning its legislation and policies with EU rules and other international standards and in institutional consolidation,” Cristina Gherasimov noted.

Among the key achievements in justice reform, there is the completion of the composition of the Supreme Court of Justice with five judges, which allows the convening of the plenary of the supreme court. At the same time, 73 applications were submitted for 39 vacant judge positions and ten graduates of the National Justice Institute were proposed for vacant prosecutor positions after passing the competitions.

The Superior Council of Magistracy approved standards on the necessary number of judges for each court and the digitalization of the judicial system continues. The parliament adopted, in first reading, a draft law that will facilitate communication between citizens and courts through the e-File judicial system and will provide clearer regulations for holding court hearings via videoconference.

In parallel, the information system for case management has been expanded with eight new functionalities and the institutions responsible for justice have created a working group, in order to identify solutions to enhance the attractiveness of careers of judges and prosecutors and to help retain professionals in the system.

As for the area of combating corruption, the authorities reported the entry into force of the Law on strengthening mechanisms for combating corruption, financial crime, and organized crime. This legal act establishes new competences for the Anticorruption Prosecutor’s Office and the National Anticorruption Center (CNA), and the staff ceiling of the CNA has been increased by 150 positions.

In the first six months of the year, 59 cases regarding acts of high-level corruption were initiated, 25 of which were sent to court. During the same period, 50 conviction sentences were handed down and seizures applied in corruption cases amounted to approximately 39.8 million lei.

At the same time, draft laws were adopted in first reading on introducing new types of sanctions for legal entities, in line with European directives, as well as on strengthening mechanisms for the protection of whistleblowers.

In the field of fundamental rights, Moldova has made progress through the closing by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe of the supervision of the execution of 13 judgments, the appointment of a Government Agent to the European Court of Human Rights and the development of a roadmap for the transfer of prison healthcare services under the authority of the Health Ministry.

Additionally, the parliament voted, in first reading, the draft law against abusive SLAPP-type actions and the legislative initiative on the processing of personal data by institutions responsible for preventing and combating crime.

The Chapter 23, Judiciary and Fundamental Rights, is one of the most important chapters in negotiations on Moldova’s accession to the European Union, and the progress made in this area represents an essential criterion for advancing the process of European integration.