On 1 July 2026, the European Parliament's plenary received amendments tabled by the ESN Group that would fundamentally reject the draft report's pro-accession stance towards Moldova. The eight amendments, authored by MEPs Stanislav Stoyanov, Petar Volgin, Alexander Sell, and Marcin Sypniewski on behalf of the ESN Group, call for an immediate end to Moldova's EU accession process, a halt to all EU financial transfers under the Reform and Growth Facility, and a shift to alternative partnership frameworks focused on economic cooperation, trade, security, and migration management.
The amendments represent a direct challenge to the draft report's core assumptions. They argue that Moldova's unresolved Transnistrian conflict, with approximately 1,500 Russian military personnel and large ammunition depots, poses a serious security risk that would be imported into the EU through premature membership. The amendments also cite Moldova's ranking of 80th out of 182 in Transparency International's 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index as evidence of persistent deficiencies in rule of law, judicial independence, and governance standards. The ESN Group proposes replacing the membership goal with alternative partnership frameworks and redirecting EU funds to support citizens in Member States facing economic hardship.
These amendments, if adopted, would have significant impacts on multiple stakeholders. For Moldova, the halt to accession and funding would undermine its reform momentum and economic stability, potentially reversing progress in anti-corruption and governance. EU taxpayers would see funds redirected away from Moldova, potentially toward domestic priorities, but the EU's geopolitical influence in the Eastern Partnership region could diminish. European businesses with interests in Moldovan markets or cross-border connectivity projects would face uncertainty, as the amendments condition connectivity strictly on benefits to European companies and taxpayers. EU institutions, particularly the Commission and the European External Action Service, would see their enlargement policy framework challenged, requiring a shift from accession-driven engagement to more limited partnership models.
The amendments are currently proposals at the plenary stage, still to be examined and voted upon. They have not been adopted by the European Parliament as a whole. The next steps involve consideration by the plenary, where the draft report's rapporteur, Sven Mikser, and other political groups are expected to oppose the ESN Group's radical departure from the pro-accession consensus. If the amendments are rejected, the original report will proceed; if any are adopted, the Parliament's position would shift significantly ahead of any interinstitutional discussions.