Doc. 9019

9 April 2001

Assistance with the economic development of Moldova

Motion for a recommendation

presented by Mrs Pozza Tasca and others

This motion has not been discussed in the Assembly and commits only the members who have signed it

The Assembly,

      Having noted that Moldova has been a member of the Council of Europe since 1995, is a member of the UN and of the OSCE, has signed a partnership agreement with NATO and is invited to attend WEU meetings as an observer;

      Whereas the Republic of Moldova has basic legislation comparable, both from the economic and from the political and social viewpoints, with average European legislation; whereas it is a semi-presidential republic, and whereas the parliament recently adopted legislation, already promulgated, to transform it into a parliamentary republic;

      Considering that it is a young democracy already consolidated by several elections which have led to the replacement of the President of the Republic and to that of the parliamentary majority without the slightest problem of legitimacy;

      Having noted that the crisis which followed the collapse of the Soviet empire and the subsequent war against Transnistria led to the emergence of a dramatic situation in Moldova, where one-third of the population of working age can find no employment within the republic and is therefore obliged to emigrate;

      Whereas Moldova has a debt of 800 million dollars (732.1 million Euro), and considering that the Council of Europe Development Bank has no planned projects in support of Moldova and that the EBRD itself has assigned no funds, although Moldova is a member of the World Trade Organization;

      Whereas Moldova has, because of poverty and social exclusion, become one of the countries at the origin of the new forms of slavery: the trafficking of young women, the trafficking of organs, surrogate motherhood in return for payment, the trafficking of children and the exploitation of minors, starting with paedophilia;

      Whereas a recent investigation by Moldova’s law enforcement agencies led to complaints against, and the arrest of, 29 travel agency managers accused of the illegal trafficking of visas issued to young Moldovans, in whom false hopes and expectations were aroused about their journeys to countries such as Greece, Turkey, Italy and Portugal;

      Whereas Moldova’s travel agencies, which in the year 2000 alone enabled
23 000 Moldovans to leave their country with lawful tourist visas, demand very high sums for the obtaining of visas, ranging from 1 200 to 2 000 dollars; they thus not only initiate the trafficking, but also exert, as proven by the current investigation, power over their victims through blackmail, because of the debt the victims have incurred, thereby creating conditions for slavery;

Asks the Committee of Ministers to promote and to facilitate the development of Moldova so as to create jobs, reduce social exclusion and increase the efficiency and fairness of the basic social system in order to restore to Moldovan citizens, whose country is a member of the Council of Europe, equal rights and opportunities with the citizens of the other member states;

Also asks the Council of Europe Development Bank to allocate funds and to promote projects with a view to reducing the under-development that is preventing adequate economic growth, and also so as to extricate the country from the grip of organised crime.

Signed : ¹

Pozza Tasca, Italy, LDR

Annemans, Belgium, NR

Arnau, Spain, SOC

Frey, Switzerland, LDR

Lauricella, Italy, SOC

Marty, Switzerland, LDR

Riccardi, San Marino, SOC

Rigo, Italy, NR

Schreiner, France, EDG

Squarcialupi, Italy, SOC

¹        SOC: Socialist Group

      EPP/CD: Group of the European People’s Party

      EDG: European Democratic Group

      LDR : Liberal, Democratic and Reformers’ Group

      UEL: Group of the Unified European Left

      NR: not registered in a group