DISINFO: The only benefit from the Association Agreement with the EU for Moldovans is the ability to care for the elderly in Italy
SUMMARY
A permanent political crisis is a reality for Moldova. A civil war which resulted in the establishment of the unrecognised Transnistrian Republic and the so called colour revolution of 2009 are manifestations of the crisis. The EU-Moldova Association Agreement (AA) has turned out to be very disadvantageous for Moldovans. After the signing, painful economic and political transformations took place in the country, yet Moldovans have not profited from the agreement except for the new possibilities to go to the EU in order to clean houses or care for the elderly in Italy.
RESPONSE
This message misrepresents the balance of losses and benefits from the AA/DCFTA for Moldova. The Association Agreement between the EU and Moldova was signed in June 2014 and has been in full effect since July 2016. EU imports from Moldova increased from EUR 1.3b in 2016 to EUR 1.9b in 2018. The DCFTA allows for the removal of import duties for most goods traded between the EU and Moldova and provides for broad mutual access to trade in services for both partners. It also allows both EU and Moldovan companies to create a subsidiary or a branch office on a non-discriminatory basis. This means that they receive the same treatment as domestic companies in the partner's (EU and Moldovan) market when setting up a business. At the same time, the AA/DCFTA does not open the EU's labour market for Moldovan citizens and has not given Moldovans new labour opportunities in Italy as alleged. Even before the AA/DCFTA between the EU and Moldova was signed, Italy was the main EU destination country for Moldovan migrants, with over 130,00 Moldovan citizens legally residing in its territory by 2011. The large numbers of Moldovan labourers in Italy stem from the fact that many Moldovans hold Romanian passports and benefit from the EU’s freedom of movement rules. Read more about AA/DCFTA between the EU and Moldova here. Earlier disinformation cases concerning the EU-Moldova relations can be found here.