Project Results
The Republic of Moldova is one of the most corrupt countries in the world, which hinders both its internal development and its further rapprochement with the EU. The research project "EU external anti-corruption promotion: A case study on the Republic of Moldova" aimes to identify the EU's legal competences and instruments to fight corruption in the Republic of Moldova. The analysis focuses on measures against fraud to protect the EU's financial interests and against illegal party financing.
The fellows' analysis reveales that the EU does not have a consolidated and comprehensive legal framework to fight corruption vis-à-vis the Republic of Moldova. While the EU's financial interests seem to be protected against fraud through a variety of legally binding measures, instruments in the area of illegal party financing, a politically highly sensitive area in the Republic of Moldova, are underdeveloped. This is strongly related to differences in the EU's internal legal competences as well as to the differentiated nature of the EU acquis in a given policy field.
These findings call on the EU to focus primarily on those areas where it can exert the greatest possible influence. In policy areas where the EU acquis is underdeveloped, the EU should rather work more closely with international organisations such as the Council of Europe, which have long-standing experience and expertise.
The EurasiaLab Fellows
Mihai-Razvan Corman and Eliana Coraci are members and research fellows of the Moldovan-German Forum, a Chisinau-based non-governmental organisation whose aim is to enhance the European integration process in the Republic of Moldova. Mihai is a PhD Researcher at Ghent University and an Independent Consultant for the European Commission and the Institute of European Democrats, a think tank funded by the European Parliament. Eliana is a researcher and analyst with expertise on disinformation in the Eastern Partnership, currently working for NATO HQ in Brussels.
Methods
The researchers conducted several interviews with national actors, such as the government of the Republic of Moldova and civil society actors, as well as with representatives of various EU bodies, such as the Council of Europe and the EU Delegation to the Republic of Moldova. The interview results were then used to analyse EU anti-corruption policies in the two policy areas.
Research Outcomes
Mihai and Eliana project ist topic in the IEP-Podcast.
The Fellows have developed their own five-part podcast series in which they discuss EU measures against corruption in the Republic of Moldova.
Team & authors
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