Council Decision (EU) 2025/1957 of 18 September 2025 on the position to be taken on behalf of the European Union in the Association Committee in Trade Configuration established by the Association Agreement between the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community, and their Member States of the one part, and the Republic of Moldova, of the other part, as regards the reduction and elimination of customs duties

Official Journal EN of the European Union L series 2025/1957 24.9.2025 COUNCIL DECISION (EU) 2025/1957 of 18 September 2025 on the position to be taken on behalf of the European Union in the Association Committee in Trade Configuration established by the Association Agreement between the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community, and their Member States of the one part, and the Republic of Moldova, of the other part, as regards the reduction and elimination of customs duties THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular Article 207(4), first subparagraph, in conjunction with Article 218(9) thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission,

Whereas:

(1) The Association Agreement between the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community, and their Member States of the one part, and the Republic of Moldova, of the other part(1)(‘the Agreement’) was concluded by the Union by Council Decision (EU) 2014/492(2) and entered into force on 1 July 2016.

(2) Under Article 147(4) and Article 438(3) and (4) of the Agreement, the Association Committee in Trade Configuration may adopt a decision on the reduction and elimination of a customs duty on a good which will supersede any duty rate or staging category determined pursuant to the Schedules of the Union or Moldova included in Annex XV to the Agreement for that good.

(3) Following Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, the Union adopted unilateral trade liberalisation measures for Moldova through its autonomous trade measures (ATMs) of 18 July 2022(3), which were renewed in 2023(4) and 2024(5). Following the expiry of the ATMs on 24 July 2025, discussions between the parties have resulted in an agreement to broaden the scope of elimination of customs duties and support Moldova’s alignment to the Union acquis which is an important part of Moldova’s accession negotiations with the Union.

(4) The Association Committee in Trade Configuration is to adopt a decision on the reduction and elimination of customs duties under Article 147(4) of the Agreement during the course of 2025.

(1) OJ L 260, 30.8.2014, p. 4, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/agree_internation/2014/492/oj.

(2) Council Decision 2014/492/EU of 16 June 2014 on the signing, on behalf of the European Union, and provisional application of the Association Agreement between the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community and their Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Moldova, of the other part (OJ L 260, 30.8.2014, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec/2014/ 492/oj).

(3) Regulation (EU) 2022/1279 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 July 2022 on temporary trade-liberalisation measures supplementing trade concessions applicable to products from the Republic of Moldova under the Association Agreement between the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community and their Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Moldova, of the other part (OJ L 195, 22.7.2022, p. 6, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2022/1279/oj).

(4) Regulation (EU) 2023/1524 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 July 2023 on temporary trade-liberalisation measures supplementing trade concessions applicable to products from the Republic of Moldova under the Association Agreement between the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community and their Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Moldova, of the other part (OJ L 185, 24.7.2023, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2023/1524/oj).

(5) Regulation (EU) 2024/1501 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 May 2024 on temporary trade-liberalisation measures supplementing trade concessions applicable to products from the Republic of Moldova under the Association Agreement between the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community and their Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Moldova, of the other part (OJ L, 2024/1501, 29.5.2024, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/1501/oj).

ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec/2025/1957/oj 1/2EN OJ L, 24.9.2025

(5) It is appropriate to establish the position to be taken on the Union’s behalf in the Association Committee in Trade Configuration, as the decision of that Committee will be binding on the Union,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1 The position to be taken on the Union’s behalf in the Association Committee in Trade Configuration established by the Association Agreement between the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community, and their Member States of the one part, and the Republic of Moldova, of the other part shall be based on the draft decision of the Association Committee in Trade Configuration attached to this Decision.

Article 2 This Decision shall enter into force on the date of its adoption.

Done at Brussels, 18 September 2025.

For the Council The President L. AAGAARD 2/2 ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec/2025/1957/oj