OREANDA-NEWS. July 30, 2014. Prime Minister Iurie Leanca has held a telephone talk with European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development Dacian Ciolos. The officials talked the issue of export of Moldovan fruit to the European Union market, the government’s communication and media relations department has reported.

As a result of the phone talk, Dacian Ciolos informed that a solution for doubling the export quotas of Moldovan products to the European market was found, which might be implemented starting from 1 August 2014.

Ciolos said that, by way of exception, for 2014, EU decided to double the non-customs duty export quotas negotiated in the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement (DCFTA) for apples (from 40,000 to 80,000 tons), plums (from 10,000 to 20,000 tons), grapes (from 10,000 to 20,000 tons). According to the latest developments, DCFTA is to be implemented on 1 September and not on 1 October as it has been planned initially. But the Moldovan producers, who will export within these additional rates, will benefit from these measures starting from August. Though the decision is to be formalised by the European Commission in September, the customs duties paid by the Moldovan exporters on the European market after 1 August will be reimbursed.

At the same time, in the months to come, the European Commission will identify financial sources from the funds earmarked to Moldova in 2014, which will be directed to the Agriculture and Food Industry Ministry, in order to support the Moldovan fruit producers to storage these goods till they would be sold.

„I hope that these measures, which the European Commission takes as emergency, to help Moldova’s economy, to back the Moldovan producers and the signing of the Moldova-European Union Association Agreement to also augur well from the practical viewpoint, with direct positive impact on the Moldovan economy,” Ciolos said.