EUAA and Moldova Sign Three-Year Cooperation Roadmap on Asylum and Reception Systems

The European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA) and the Republic of Moldova signed their first Roadmap for Cooperation on 28 September during a bilateral meeting at the EUAA State of Asylum Conference 2026 in Malta. The agreement establishes a three-year framework aimed at strengthening Moldova's asylum and reception systems and supporting its alignment with the Common European Asylum System and European Union standards.

The document was signed by EUAA Executive Director Nina Gregori and Moldova's Minister of Internal Affairs, Daniella Misail-Nichitin, in the presence of representatives from the European Commission and European Parliament Vice President Antonella Sberna. The agreement operates within the context of Moldova's EU accession process, specifically under Chapter 24 of the EU acquis covering Justice, Freedom, and Security.

According to the EUAA, the cooperation framework focuses on three main areas: aligning Moldova with the Common European Asylum System, enhancing the capacity and quality of asylum procedures, and developing reception infrastructure. The framework also considers recent developments in the EU asylum framework and the implementation of the Pact on Migration and Asylum.

Planned activities under the roadmap include assistance with asylum legislation, policy development, data and statistics collection, training, contingency planning, and crisis preparedness. The initiative will also address access to asylum procedures, the consistency of asylum decisions, interpretation services, quality assurance, Country of Origin Information, and professional exchanges for judges handling international protection cases.

Additionally, the roadmap outlines measures to bring Moldova's reception systems in line with EU standards. This involves improving reception conditions, management procedures for reception centres, and protocols for identifying and referring vulnerable applicants and those with special needs. To foster long-term national capacity, the EUAA will facilitate study visits, exchanges with EU member states, and access to the European Asylum Curriculum.

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