Today, 9 September 2026, Governor of the National Bank of Moldova, Ms Anca Dragu, met with Her Excellency Ms Esselien van Eerten, Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to the Republic of Moldova, and Ms Alida Petronella Maria van Haasteren, Policy Coordinator within the Constituency Programme of the Ministry of Finance of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The meeting took place in the context of Ms Alida van Haasteren’s visit to the Republic of Moldova. The discussions focused on the role of the NBM in the European Union accession process, progress made in aligning the financial sector with European standards, and cooperation projects carried out with the support of Dutch partners.
Governor Anca Dragu presented the main measures promoted by the NBM to align national legislation with the acquis of the European Union in areas such as prudential supervision, the free movement of capital, financial market infrastructure, digital finance and sustainable finance, among others.
An important outcome of this process is the Republic of Moldova’s operational participation in the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA), starting in October 2025. In the first ten months after joining, transfers made through SEPA generated savings of EUR 13.2 million for citizens and businesses, becoming the main channel for cross-border euro payments to and from the Republic of Moldova.
A separate topic of discussion was the NBM’s initiative to obtain recognition by the European Banking Authority (EBA) of the equivalence of the Republic of Moldova’s prudential banking framework with that of the European Union. Obtaining such recognition will confirm the extent to which the banking regulatory and supervisory framework is aligned with European requirements.
“The European integration of the financial sector is already visible in the reforms we are implementing and in concrete results, such as the Republic of Moldova’s connection to SEPA. We are continuing to align legislation and supervisory practices with European Union standards, while also strengthening the institutional capacity of the National Bank. Along this path, cooperation with partners from the Kingdom of the Netherlands provides us with the support needed to implement reforms effectively, so that their results translate into tangible benefits for citizens and the economy,” said Ms Anca Dragu.
During the meeting, the technical assistance projects carried out through the Constituency Programme of the Ministry of Finance of the Kingdom of the Netherlands were reviewed. One of these is NBMLearnOrgLab, implemented in 2023–2026 together with the Centre of Excellence in Finance, aimed at developing the NBM as a learning-oriented organisation.
The cooperation also includes financial education programmes carried out jointly with the OECD International Network on Financial Education (OECD/INFE), as well as training activities dedicated to the European Union accession negotiations.
The Republic of Moldova and the Kingdom of the Netherlands are part of the same constituency within the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank Group. Over the years, this framework has supported dialogue and cooperation between the NBM, the Ministry of Finance of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and De Nederlandsche Bank.
