Moldova began the process of screening national legislation and evaluating its compliance with that of the European Union (EU) on February 7, announced Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration Cristina Gherasimov in Brussels.

The step is crucial for the country's European path, as it sets the stage for the accession talks, President Maia Sandu said on X platform.

"Today, in Brussels, Moldova began the screening process to assess to what extent our laws are in line with the EU standards. This exercise sets the stage for accession talks, marking a crucial step on our journey towards eventual EU membership. I'm looking forward to the next progress,” wrote Sandu on X (formerly Twitter).

According to Gherasimov, the purpose of the meeting was to detail the next steps, following the decision of the European Council in December 2023, to open accession negotiations with Moldova, namely the launch of the screening process.

"This process involves, in practice, the assessment of the compliance of national legislation, chapter by chapter, with the acquis communautaire. We also agreed on the calendar and procedural details of this complex stage in our European journey,” said the deputy prime minister.

Gherasimov announced that she had meetings in Brussels, including with the head of the General Directorate for Neighbourhood and EU Enlargement Negotiations, Gert-Jan Koopman, with whom she said she discussed the next steps in the process of Moldova's accession to the EU.

“We informed about the latest developments in the achievement of the three remaining conditionalities according to the European Commission's report from November 2023. We agreed on the priority actions and the implementation calendar, placing a special emphasis on the continuation of reforms in the judicial system and the de-oligarchisation process,” she said.

Moldova submitted an EU accession application on March 3, 2022.

On June 17, 2022, the European Commission issued its opinion on the EU accession application, and on June 23, the European Council granted Moldova the status of a candidate country. At the end of last year, on December 14, 2023, the European Council decided to approve the opening of accession negotiations with Moldova and Ukraine.