Moldovan prime minister says EU accession requires 'close collaboration' with local authorities

Alexandru Munteanu, Prime Minister of Moldova, said on 24 November that his government is focused on improving the capacity of local authorities in Moldova ahead the country's accession to the EU. He pointed out that additional financial support will help strengthen local governments.

Speaking at the first meeting in Moldova between Moldovan local authorities and the European Committee of the Regions, he said that "close collaboration between central administration, local authorities, European institutions, and the Republic of Moldova" is essential as Moldova prepares for EU membership and that his government wants "authentic transformations, built together with the entire society".

The meeting of the Working Group on Moldova, launched in May 2025 by the European Committee of the Regions (CoR), was also addressed by Cristina Gherasimov, Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration, and Iwona Piorko, the EU's Ambassador to Moldova, both of whom echoed the European Commission's very positive assessment of the progress being made by Moldova in accession talks with the EU. 

Mariana Gâju (RO/PES), mayor of Cumpăna in Romania and chair of the CoR's Working Group on Moldova, said that she hoped that the EU will be able to support local and regional authorities in Moldova, including by drawing inspiration from a training and internship programme to Ukrainian local officials – TIPS4UA – that was launched this year by the CoR with support from the EU's Ukraine Facility. She also emphasised that local administrations can learn from Moldovan municipalities, drawing particularly on their experience of tackling disinformation and countering hybrid attacks.

The meeting also focused on the process of decentralisation in Moldova, with representatives from the Congress of Local Authorities from Moldova (CALM) and the Union of District Councils highlighting key aspects that may determine and contribute to effective fiscal and administrative decentralisation.

Quotes: 

Alexandru Munteanu, Prime Minister of Moldova: "The European path runs through our localities in the Republic of Moldova. The transposition of the EU acquis, our reform agenda, and institutional transformations only make sense if they come to life in every village and city. The upcoming period – a time of maximum speed to prepare for EU membership – will only succeed through close collaboration between central administration, local authorities, European institutions, and the Republic of Moldova. But also among yourselves, among your communities. European legislation applies directly at the local level. This means that localities are not just beneficiaries of European integration, but become direct actors in this process."

Mariana Gâju (RO/PES), mayor of Cumpăna and chair of the CoR's Working Group on Moldova: "The European path runs through our localities in the Republic of Moldova. The transposition of the EU acquis, our reform agenda, and institutional transformations only make sense if they come to life in every village and city. The upcoming period—a time of maximum speed to prepare for EU membership—will only succeed through close collaboration between central administration, local authorities, European institutions, and the Republic of Moldova. But also among yourselves, among your communities. European legislation applies directly at the local level. This means that localities are not just beneficiaries of European integration, but become direct actors in this process."zp "As the recent Parliamentary elections have shown, Moldova is a prime example of resilience. We have witnessed the will of key political stakeholders and the population's own ability to fight disinformation and tackle hybrid attacks. Multilevel governance should be at the core of Moldova's accession efforts. Seventy percent of EU acquis is implemented at the local level; and multi-level governance – the participation of all levels of government in decision and policy making – is key to the success of the enlargement process.” 

More information: 

• Meeting details: Agenda, video on demand, photos, Working Group on Moldova work programme 2025-29.
• Working Group on Moldova: The Working Group was established on 1 April 2025, shortly after the start of the new mandate of the European Committee of the Regions, the EU's assembly for local and regional politicians. The upgrade in relations reflects the European Union's increasing prioritisation of the enlargement in the current geopolitical context and Moldova's progress towards membership of the EU. The inaugural meeting of the Working Group was held in Brussels on 27 May. A request by the government of Moldova and by the European Committee of the Regions to further upgrade contacts – by establishing a Joint Consultative Committee with fixed membership on the Moldovan side – is currently awaiting approval by EU member states.
• Enlargement: Moldova applied for EU membership in March 2022, obtained candidacy status in June 2022, and started formal accession negotiations in June 2024. In a referendum in October 2024, Moldovans voted to anchor Moldova's EU aspirations in the constitution. Parliamentary elections in September 2025 returned a government committed to securing membership of the EU. On 4 November, the European Commission issued its annual report on progress on EU-related reforms by enlargement countries, with the European Commissioner for Enlargement, Marta Kos, describing Moldova as "the best student in her enlargement class". In a review of Moldova's EU-related reforms adopted in April 2025, CoR members praised Moldova’s alignment with the EU’s foreign and security policy, supported its ongoing reforms of local government, and highlighted the challenges of corruption and disinformation.
• EU support for Moldova: In March 2025, the EU approved the Moldova Growth Plan, which is underpinned by a Reform and Growth Facility worth €1.9 billion. This provides for targeted support for local and regional authorities of Moldova.
• TIPS4UA: The Training and Internship Programme Support for Ukrainian Municipalities (TIPS4Ukraine) was launched in March 2025 by CoR. U-LEAD – a partnership between the Ukrainian government, the European Union, Germany, Denmark, France, Poland and Slovenia – is responsible for day-to-day implementation of the programme, which is part-financed by the EU's Ukraine Facility.
• Conference of the Regional and Local Authorities for the Eastern Partnership (CORLEAP): The CoR also works with Moldova's local and regional administrations through CORLEAP, which was created by the CoR to ensure the EU's Eastern Partnership initiative incorporates local and regional perspectives. As of 1 February 2026, the co-chair will be Constantin Cojocari, Mayor of Edineț in Moldova.