The Roles of the European Peace Facility and the Security and Defence Partnership in Supporting Moldova's EU Integration
The Roles of the European Peace Facility and the Security and Defence Partnership in Supporting Moldova's EU Integration

Summary/Abstract: This paper examines the role of the European Peace Facility (EPF) and the Security and Defence Partnership (SDP) as key instruments in Moldova's European Union (EU) integration process. Amid increasing threats from Russian hybrid warfare - including cyberattacks, disinformation campaigns, and the ongoing conflict in Ukraine - Moldova faces pressing security challenges that hinder its EU accession trajectory but also act as catalysts for change. The EPF, established by a Council Decision of March 2021, provides financial and material assistance aimed at conflict prevention, peacebuilding, and the strengthening of security, with Moldova being a major beneficiary. Complementing this, the 2024 Security and Defence Partnership (SDP) formalises deeper EU-Moldova cooperation, emphasising areas such as the countering of hybrid threats, cyber issues, strategic communication, and border management, thereby enhancing Moldova's preparedness and resilience. The author seeks to determine how these instruments support Moldova's EU integration and the improvement of its security framework through policy transfer, institutional capacity-building, transnational socialisation, and the promotion of EU standards, contributing to Moldova's progress in aligning with EU foreign and security policy positions. This paper underscores the importance of sustained EU support to address unresolved issues such as corruption and the presence of Russian troops in Transnistria, which pose diplomatic and strategic dilemmas. Furthermore, it explores how these EU instruments facilitate Moldova's alignment with the EU acquis in external relations (Chapter 30) and common foreign and security policy (Chapter 31), fostering institutional reforms necessary for integration. Overall, the author argues that the EPF and the SDP not only enhance Moldova's security but also support its EU accession process, in the context of an evolving geopolitical landscape characterised by Russia's assertiveness and the strategic importance of Moldova's stability for the EU.

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