On 24 March 2023, EFTA and the Republic of Moldova reached an agreement on a comprehensive free trade agreement. Further details can be found in a Chapter by Chapter Fact sheet on the free trade agreement.
In 2021, EFTA and Moldova launched their negotiations towards a free trade agreement. Parties had formalized their shared ambition of strengthening their economies by signing a Joint Declaration on Cooperation in Geneva, Switzerland, on 24 November 2017.
24.11.2017
(Joint Declaration on Cooperation)
27.06.2023
Date of Entry Into Force Imports to EFTA States Exports from EFTA StatesAs an ambitious and broad-based Free Trade Agreement, the EFTA-Moldova Agreement covers trade in goods and services, establishment, intellectual property rights, competition, government procurement, trade and sustainable development, as well as legal and horizontal provisions. For the first time, it also contains a chapter on e-commerce.
Trade between the parties has been growing exponentially over the last ten years. In 2022, total trade reached USD 94 million between the EFTA States and the Republic of Moldova, of which USD 34 million represented imports from Moldova and USD 60 million were exports from the EFTA States. Exports from EFTA States to Moldova had an average annual growth rate of 21.9% over the last five years.
Negotiations towards the comprehensive Free Trade Agreement were preceded by a Joint Declaration on Cooperation, signed in November 2017. At a Joint Committee meeting held in May 2018, opportunities to strengthen economic relations and enhance cooperation were further explored. Between March 2021 and March 2023, five full negotiation rounds and several intersessional meetings were held.
| Trade in Goods | Annex I | Rules of Origin and Administrative Cooperation | Appendix A | Alternative Applicable Rules of Origin |
| Annex II | Schedule of Tariff Commitments Moldova to EFTA | |||
| Annex III | Schedule of Tariff Commitments - Iceland and Moldova | |||
| Annex IV | Schedule of Tariff Commitments - Norway and Moldova | |||
| Annex V | Schedule of Tariff Commitments - Switzerland and Moldova | |||
| Annex VI | Trade Facilitation | |||
| Annex VII | Mandate Sub-Committee on Trade in Goods | |||
| Trade in Services | Annex VIII | Schedules of Specific Commitments - Cover Page | ||
| Appendix 1 | Moldova | |||
| Appendix 2 | Iceland | |||
| Appendix 3 | Liechtenstein | |||
| Appendix 4 | Norway | |||
| Appendix 5 | Switzerland | |||
| Annex IX | Lists of MFN exemptions - Cover Page | |||
| Appendix 1 | Moldova | |||
| Appendix 2 | Iceland | |||
| Appendix 3 | Liechtenstein | |||
| Appendix 4 | Norway | |||
| Appendix 5 | Switzerland | |||
| Annex X | Financial Services | |||
| Annex XI | Telecommunications Services | |||
| Annex XII | Movement of Natural Persons Supplying Services | |||
| Annex XIII | Maritime Transport | |||
| Establishment | Annex XIV | List of Reservations - Cover Page | ||
| Appendix 1 | Moldova | |||
| Appendix 2 | Iceland | |||
| Appendix 3 | Liechtenstein | |||
| Appendix 4 | Norway | |||
| Appendix 5 | Switzerland | |||
| IPR | Annex XV | Protection of Intellectual Property | ||
| Appendix | Mutual Recognition and Protection of Geographical Indications, Appellations of Origin and Indications of Source | |||
| Governement Procurement | Annex XVI | Governement Procurement |
The Joint Declaration on Cooperation (JDC) addresses cooperation on trade-related issues such as exchange of information on trade in goods and services, customs and origin matters, technical barriers to trade, intellectual property rights, public procurement markets, competition, and trade and sustainable development.
Furthermore, the Joint Declaration on Cooperation aims to promote private sector trade and investment cooperation.
A Joint Committee is established which provides the EFTA States and Moldova with a forum and a practical framework to review their cooperation, discuss any other issue of mutual interest and formulate appropriate recommendations.
The Joint Declaration on Cooperation provides that the EFTA States and Moldova shall, when conditions permit, jointly examine actions to be taken in view of establishing a free trade area between them.
For EFTA-Moldova trade statistics, see EFTA Trade Statistics Tool