Moldova Moves Forward in Aligning Public Procurement Legislation with the EU Acquis

The Republic of Moldova is making significant progress in modernizing its public procurement framework following the Government’s approval, on 12 November 2025, of a new draft law aimed at fully transposing Directive 2014/24/EU into national legislation. This initiative forms a core component of the commitments undertaken during the bilateral screening for Chapter 5 – “Public Procurement”, under which Moldova agreed to gradually align its domestic legal framework with the EU acquis. The overarching goal is to ensure coherent integration of European procurement rules into the national legal order, enhancing compatibility, transparency, and predictability as Moldova advances toward European Union accession.

The draft law introduces a comprehensive set of reforms intended to streamline procurement procedures, reduce administrative burdens, and promote fair access for economic operators. It provides important clarifications regarding the application of rules to mixed contracts and introduces additional criteria for defining similar goods, addressing areas that previously generated inconsistent interpretations. The project also establishes an expanded and well-structured chapter on exceptions to the law, offering clarity on situations in which certain types of procurement may fall outside the general framework. Another noteworthy element is the introduction of provisions enabling joint procurement involving contracting authorities from both Moldova and EU Member States, facilitating cross-border cooperation.

A major focus of the reform is the strengthening of transparency through enhanced obligations for publishing and reporting procurement-related information. This increased openness aims to improve access to relevant data, expand the visibility of market opportunities, and discourage anti-competitive practices, particularly in light of the need for closer monitoring of collusive behavior. At the same time, the draft differentiates between the regimes applicable to central and local authorities by introducing distinct value thresholds and flexible mechanisms tailored to the administrative and operational capacities of each tier, in line with European requirements.

Under the proposed legislation, the new law is set to enter into force on 1 January 2027, a timeline established to allow for the necessary upgrades to the national e-procurement platform SIA “RSAP” (MTender), which currently lacks the technical functionalities required for implementing the new regulatory framework. The draft further stipulates that certain sector-specific exceptions, including those in the financial-banking sector and those related to the printing of ballot papers and other electoral materials will be repealed upon the entry into force of the Treaty of Accession of the Republic of Moldova to the European Union.

By approving this draft law and advancing the necessary reforms, the Republic of Moldova reaffirms its commitment to aligning its public procurement legislation with EU standards, strengthening a system that is more transparent, efficient, and competitive  key elements for sustainable economic development and deeper integration into the European market.

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