On Tuesday, October 17, 2023, was launched the joint project of the European Union and the Council of Europe „Support to the justice reform in the Republic of Moldova”, which will support national authorities in further advancing the reform of the judiciary by strengthening its independence, transparency and professionalism. Among the beneficiaries of the project are the Ministry of Justice, the Superior Council of Magistracy, the Superior Council of Prosecutors, the National Institute of Justice and the Constitutional Court.
The event was opened by Veronica Mikhailov-Moraru, Minister of Justice of the Republic of Moldova, Jānis Mažeiks, Head of the Delegation of the European Union to the Republic of Moldova, Falk Lange, Head of the Council of Europe Office in Chisinau, and Lilit Daneghian, ad interim Head of the Cooperation Programs Division, Directorate-General for Human Rights and the Rule of Law, Council of Europe.
The National Institute of Justice was represented by Ecaterina Popa, ad interim Director, and Olga Marandici, head of the International Relations Section. In her speech, the ad interim Director of the NIJ referred to judicial training as a precondition for judicial independence, the rule of law and the protection of human rights, as well as the importance of the Institute in providing quality educational resources for legal professionals. Ecaterina Popa also stressed the need to intensify the joint efforts of national and international partners in order to build an impartial, transparent and efficient judiciary in the context of our country's integration into the European Union.
Following the launch, the first meeting of the Steering Committee followed, during which issues related to the implementation of the actions for the first year of project were discussed.
The Joint Project of the European Union and the Council of Europe „Support to the justice reform in the Republic of Moldova” will last until November 2026, being structured in four components aimed at achieving the following objectives: improving the legal framework for implementing the Strategy for ensuring the independence and integrity of the justice sector for the years 2022-2025; reform of the Superior Council of Magistracy and of the Superior Council of Prosecutors through the support granted in the sense of exercising its attributions in accordance with the Constitution of the Republic of Moldova; advancing the training of judges and prosecutors and strengthening the capacity of the Constitutional Court.
