EU Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries, Virginijus Sinkevicius, paid a first working visit to Moldova

The European Commissioner for the Environment, Oceans and Fisheries, Virginijus Sinkevicius met on 25 November, 2022 with the Minister of the Environment, Iordanca-Rodica Iordanov. The high level visit denotes the desire of the Republic of Moldova to become more resilient in the face of climate change and to align as soon as possible with European environmental legislation.

Minister Iordanov appreciated the visit of the European Commissioner for the Environment, Virginijus Sinkevicius to Moldova as a great support both for the environment and for the country’s political agenda. “When reality requires us to make quick decisions in crisis situations, the support of European partners in creating resilience in the face of climate change is a chance for us and the future generation. The environmental crisis affects us all. Drought, floods, wastes have a global impact, the environment has no borders. Neglecting the long-term risks, we will fight the consequences, but without getting rid of the reasons for the problem, that’s why we need to act now“, said the Minister of the Environment, Iordanca Iordanov.

The European Commissioner for the Environment, Virginijus Sinkevicius, assured that the EU will continue to provide the Ministry of the Environment with technical assistance in order to strengthen institutional capacities. “Advocacy for the field of water resources will continue to remain a priority, especially in the context of the impact of climate change,” said Virginijus Sinkevicius.

At the same time, the European Commissioner for the Environment, Virginijus Sinkevicius, spoke about the challenges of the country in the process of accession and harmonization with EU legislation: “Implementation of the Community Aquis is not a simple process, but with the right partners everything is possible“.

At the moment, the Ministry of the Environment is working on the development of cross-sectoral policies and the integration of EU environmental standards in different sectors, on a series of strategic documents and normative acts to be harmonized with the European Green Pact, focusing on the commitments in the Association Agreement: transposition, implementation and enforcement.