The EU and Moldova: How does the EU address Transnistria?

The Transnistrian parliament, the Transnistrian and the Russian flag can be seen above the building Credits: Erik Schmidt-Bergemann

by Erik Schmidt-Bergemann, 6 minutes

On the 28th of September 2021, the football world witnessed something that is nothing less than a miracle: Sheriff Tiraspol beat Real Madrid in Estadio Bernabeu by 2:1. Not only was this a significant event in the world of sports but it also put a forgotten conflict back into the public’s mind. Sheriff Tiraspol is not any football club but a club that is in the middle of a so-called frozen conflict. Tiraspol is the capital of the de-facto state of Transnistria (or Pridnestrovie) which is a breakaway region of Moldova. Transnistria has been de-facto independent since the short war in 1992 but not a single United Nations (UN) member recognises Transnistrian statehood, not even Transnistria’s patron state Russia. The conflict has not been solved in the past 30 years but international actors including the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and the EU have tried to work towards a settlement. 

This article will shortly outline the historical context before it will move on to the EU’s actions. 

A short history 

The tank monument in Tiraspol city centre commemorates the “War of Independence” Credits: Erik Schmidt-Bergemann

To properly understand the origins of the conflict it is important to understand the history of Moldova – or Bessarabia as Russia called the region after it conquered it in 1812. In 1917 an independent Moldovan state was established and in 1918 it united with the kingdom of Romania to form ‘Greater Romania’. However, only the western part of Moldova joined the union with Romania while the eastern part, Transnistria, was still under Russian and then Soviet control. Therefore, Transnistria/Pridnestrovie has never been a part of a Romanian state. This is important to know because it sets the stage for the events that occurred in the early 90s which ultimately led to the short war in 1992. 

Moldova became a part of the Soviet Union after the Second World War and it was known as the Moldovan Soviet Socialist Republic. During this period Moldova experienced an increasing russification of the country. The dominant language, Romanian, was renamed Moldovan and the alphabet was changed from Latin to Cyrillic. In addition, the ethnic Russian population in Moldova nearly doubled between 1959 and 1989. This information is important to keep in mind because 

The early 90s and the fall of the Soviet Union led to a resurgence of nationalist sentiment in Moldova, especially in the capital Chisinau, and the alphabet was changed back to Latin. Meanwhile, the authorities in Tiraspol forbid the use of the Latin alphabet in Transnistria. This exemplifies the rising tensions in the country which ultimately led to the short war in 1992. Moldova attempted to seize the cities of Bender and Dubasari but Transnistria, with the help of the 14th Russian army, was able to repel the attacks. The intervention of Russian forces on the Transnistrian side led to a quick end of the war. 

Following the war, Russia, Moldova and Transnistria set up the Joint Control Commission which oversees a trilateral peacekeeping force made up of Russian, Moldovan and Transnistrian soldiers. In addition, an international peace process was set up in 1997. The peace process to solve the conflict in Moldova is called the 5+2 process. The process is made up of the two conflict sides (Moldova and Transnistria), three mediators (Ukraine, Russia and the OSCE) and two observers (the EU and USA). The process was set up in 1997 without the two observers who joined later on, in 2005. 

What is the EU doing?

The EU has launched several initiatives in Moldova over the past 30 years. In 2005 the EU launched a border assistance mission, EUBAM, the ‘EU Border Assistance Mission to Moldova and Ukraine’ in order to support Ukraine and Moldova to monitor their common border and prevent illicit trade. EUBAM does not only support the monitoring of the border but it has also contributed to a peaceful resolution of the conflict. For example, EUBAM has helped in the “reopening of the international transport corridors that cross Transnistria”. That means that train traffic on the Chisinau - Tiraspol - Odessa line was resumed. It seems as if the mission is still operating despite the war in Ukraine but there was no official confirmation at the time of reporting. 

 The most important treaty that the EU and Moldova have signed is the Association Agreement. The EU signed the Association Agreement with Moldova in 2014 and has included the country in its Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area since 2016 (DCFTA). Further, Moldova is part of the Eastern Partnership program and Moldova is part of the so-called ‘Association trio’ which is made up of Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova. This also has an impact on Transnistria. The Association trio is an informal sub-group within the Eastern Partnership. 

When I recently visited Transnistria I could see some German and other EU countries’ flags in front of Transnistrian shops or manufacturers. Locals told me that they were producing goods, such as shoes, for the European market. This is possible due to the special arrangements that were made. Transnistria can export its goods to the EU as long as the companies register themselves in Moldova. Thus, companies such as Aquatir, a large caviar producer in Transnistria, are able to export their goods to the European market. In fact, more than 50% of Transnistrian exports went to the EU (pre-pandemic). 

What does the future hold? 

The recent Russian invasion of Ukraine has put a large question mark over Transnistria. Some fear that the Russian soldiers stationed in Transnistria might lead a spearhead to Odessa or that they might use Transnistria to fire rockets at the territory of Ukraine. However, the Transnistrian leadership has made clear that it does not want to join the war and so far no missiles or rockets have been fired at Ukraine from Transnistria (at the time of reporting). Yet, the fear remains that Russia might use its troops in Transnistria for the invasion. Some analysts even fear that Moldova could be next. 

Further, Moldova has recently applied for EU membership with the rest of the Association trio - Ukraine and Georgia. The member states have sent the applications to the Commission for an initial assessment. It was not clear at the time of reporting whether any of the three countries will be granted applicant status and how the Commission will deal with the applications. It is also not clear how contested territories will influence the membership bids. Last, when I asked Transnistrians what they wanted they made clear that they want to live in peace and that they are not interested in a conflict with Moldova.