EU Approves Moldova Accession Program 2025-2029

The European Union is moving to strengthen its single market to reduce reliance on uncertain exports, especially to the United States, by removing regulatory barriers that limit cross-border trade within its 27 member states. This initiative aims to boost the EU economy by enabling businesses, particularly small and mid-sized ones, to operate more freely across a market of 450 million people. Concurrently, Moldova has approved a National Program for EU accession for 2025-2029, outlining comprehensive reforms across 33 accession chapters to align its legislation and society with European standards. Meanwhile, tensions persist within the EU over Hungary’s ultra-conservative policies under Prime Minister Viktor Orban, including laws restricting LGBTQ+ rights and targeting NGOs, prompting 17 member states to call for revision and the European Commission to threaten sanctions. These developments illustrate both the EU's internal efforts to deepen integration and reform, and the challenges posed by divergent national policies on human rights and governance within the bloc.