Maldova with EU

The European Parliament voted last week to ratify its Association Agreement and trade deal with Moldova, in a move that observers say will likely heighten tensions between the EU and Russia, already under strain over the Ukrainian crisis. The news comes as Brussels and Moscow continue to disagree heatedly over trade issues, in forums ranging from the WTO in Geneva to this past weekend’s G-20 summit in Brisbane.

An overwhelming majority of EU parliamentarians – 529 of 751 – voted for ratifying the Moldova pact last week. However, the deal still needs sign-off from the national parliaments of individual EU member states to fully enter into force.

So far, seven EU member state parliaments have completed ratification. The agreement was already ratified in Moldova this past July.

After a year marred by violence in Ukraine, Moldova is the next former Soviet republic after Kiev to approve an EU Association Agreement since before the crisis began. The popular protests that toppled the former Ukrainian government had erupted after then-President Viktor Yanukovych chose not to sign a similar deal in late 2013.

That deal was later ratified by both sides this past September, under the new Ukrainian government, though implementation has been partially delayed in order to continue discussions with Moscow.

As a small country that is also among Europe’s poorest, Moldova is a significantly smaller trading partner for the EU bloc compared to Ukraine, making up just 0.1 percent of the 28-nation group’s overall trade. By comparison, the EU is Moldova’s largest trading partner, accounting for nearly half of its trade.

The EU and Russia have lodged a series of formal trade disputes against each other in recent months; while Moscow has filed two WTO challenges against Brussels, the EU has submitted four against Russia, with the latest complaint being tabled just weeks ago.