If the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement and the Association Agreement are signed at the summit in Vilnius, from political viewpoint this will bring Moldova closer to the European Union, the Head of the EU Delegation to Moldova Dirk Schuebel said in an interview for Radio Free Europe.

“The economic component is probably more important for Moldova because the country will be gradually integrated into a market with 500 million consumers,” said the European ambassador. According to Dirk Schuebel, this will bring advantages both for export and for import.

“With this DCFTA, many products that are now not exported can be exported, namely all the animal products including milk, butter, eggs, and meat as well as fish and caviar. This will be possible because you are close to creating an efficient food security agency, accredited by the European Union, that will check all these products. If the products are of a high quality, they will be exported to the EU,” said the Head of the EU Delegation.

As regards the import, many products from the EU will be bought at a lower price because there will be no import duties on these products, said Dirk Schuebel.

As to some politicians’ assertions that Moldova’s agriculture will lose a lot if the DCFTA is signed, Dirk Schuebel said that Moldova can learn from Poland’s experience. “Poland is as dependent on agriculture as Moldova. This is the main area on which the country depends. The Polish farmers were very skeptical and were afraid of the EU. They were afraid that all the companies will go bankrupt owing to the competition with more efficient farmers from other EU member states. The result is that the Polish agriculture used all the possibilities offered by the EU very quickly and for its benefit. They modernized their economy and became very profitable and successful,” said the ambassador.

According to him, there shouldn’t be fear of competition because it will definitely help the consumers as well as the producers.

The Eastern Partnership Summit of Vilnius, where the two Moldova-EU agreements are expected to be signed, will take place this November.