State Secretary of the Ministry of Energy, Cristina Pereteatcu, Chair of the Working Group for Chapter 15 “Energy,” presented the Republic of Moldova’s progress in the energy sector during the 8th meeting of the Moldova–European Union Association Subcommittee, held in the context of Cluster III – Energy, Transport, Environment, Climate Action, and Civil Protection.

The meeting brought together representatives from the Ministry of Energy, the European Integration Office, the Ministry of Infrastructure and Regional Development, the National Agency for Energy Regulation (ANRE), the Ministry of Environment, as well as European institutions. On behalf of the Republic of Moldova, the discussion was chaired by the Head of the European Integration Office, Ghenadie Marian.

During the meeting, the progress achieved by the Republic of Moldova in implementing the commitments under the RM–EU Association Agreement / DCFTA was analyzed, with a focus on reforms in the energy sector. It was highlighted that Moldova completed the transposition of the EU Electricity Market Integration Package in December 2025, including through the adoption of the new legislative framework and ANRE decisions.

A key moment was the presentation of the launch of electricity markets, including the Day-Ahead Market, the Intraday Market, and the Balancing Market — essential elements for market liberalization and regional integration. Measures regarding the gradual elimination of regulated prices, in accordance with the new Electricity Law starting in 2027 for certain categories of consumers, were also discussed.

On the infrastructure side, developments in strategic electricity interconnection projects were presented, including Chișinău–Vulcănești, where the line has entered the testing phase, as well as the Bălți–Suceava project, which is in the bid evaluation stage. The Strășeni–Gutinaș project, the third major interconnection with Romania, fully funded by the U.S. Government with a budget of $130 million, was also addressed.

In the natural gas sector, discussions focused on the use of the Trans-Balkan Corridor, the introduction of new cross-border capacity products, and strengthening regional cooperation to ensure supply security, including facilitating reversible flows and applying tariff reductions.

Progress in renewable energy was also presented, with Moldova entering 2026 with an installed capacity of nearly 1,000 MW and clear growth trends toward achieving the target of at least 30% renewable energy in domestic electricity consumption by 2030.

“Progress in the energy sector is the result of a joint and sustained effort by all involved institutions. I thank my colleagues in public administration, regulatory authorities, and European partners for their constant cooperation, which allows us to advance firmly toward EU legislation alignment and Moldova’s European integration,” Cristina Pereteatcu noted during the discussions.

At the conclusion of the meeting, European Commission representatives welcomed the significant progress made by Moldova in harmonizing energy legislation during 2024–2025, commended the efforts of national authorities, and offered recommendations for continuing alignment with the European Union acquis.

The RM–EU Subcommittee meetings within Cluster III represent essential mechanisms for dialogue and technical cooperation, dedicated to assessing progress in aligning national legislation with the EU acquis, planning future actions, and implementing joint projects, playing a key role in the European integration process of the Republic of Moldova.