EC/Moldova Partnership and Cooperation Agreement

1994/0249(AVC)
OBJECTIVE: conclusion of a partnership and cooperation agreement between the European Communities and their Member States and the Republic of Moldova. COMMUNITY MEASURE: Council and Commission decision 98/401/EC, ECSC, Euratom, on the conclusion of the partnership and cooperation agreement between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Moldova, of the other part. SUBSTANCE: This is a mixed agreement covering the areas of competence of the Community and the Member States. - Duration of the agreement: it is concluded for an initial period of ten years and will be automatically renewed year by year unless one of the two parties objects. - Democratic clause: the agreement is based on respect for human rights and democratic principles and on the Helsinki Final Act and the Charter of Paris. - Most favoured nation clause: applicable for some of the advantages provided by the agreement. - The agreement establishes a political dialogue between the two parties, essentially on strengthening economic and political ties between the Union and Moldova and on international issues. - Areas of cooperation: the agreement provides for the establishment at a future date of a free trade area (in 1998 the parties will consider whether circumstances will allow the beginning of negotiations) and increases cooperation in all the following areas: . trade in goods; . provisions affecting the employment of the nationals of each party; . the establishment and operation of companies; . cross-border supply of services; . payments and capital; . competition; . protection of intellectual, industrial and commercial property; . legislative cooperation; . economic and industrial cooperation (developing business links, promoting and protecting investment, public procurement); . cultural cooperation; . financial cooperation. - The agreement establishes the institutional framework for its implementation (cooperation council, cooperation committee and joint parliamentary cooperation committee). ENTRY INTO FORCE OF THE AGREEMENT: The agreement was signed by the parties on 28 November 1994 and enters into force on 1 July 1998. It incorporates the additional protocol signed on 15 May 1997 allowing Austria, Finland and Sweden to become signatories to the agreement together with the 12 Member States with which the agreement was previously negotiated (see AVC968088). �