European Parliament extends concessions for agricultural imports from Moldova

CHISINAU. July 12 (Interfax) - The European Parliament (EP) has voted to extend concessions on seven types of agricultural imports from Moldova (tomatoes, garlic, table grape, apples, cherries, plums, and grape juice) by another year, MEP Siegfried Muresan, who chairs the EU-Moldova parliamentary committee, said on social media.

The decision was favored by 527 members, opposed by 36, and 18 MEPs abstained, he said, underscoring that the vote guaranteed the concessions will be extended beyond July 24, 2023 when the current resolution, which suspends the import duties, expires.

"The 2022 decision to scrap duties has given the Moldovan goods a broader access to the European markets and in general boosted Moldova's exports to the EU from 1.8 billion euros in 2021 to 2.6 billion euros in 2022," Muresan said.

The access should be widened further still, he said.

"I think we should take a decision on liberalization of EU-Moldova trade. Unlike the temporary cancellation of the duties and import quotas, this would ensure greater predictability of the Moldovan market, thus helping it attract important investors," Muresan said.