#EUexplained. Artificial Intelligence: what we have, what needs to be changed, what’s next

The Republic of Moldova does not yet have a law specifically regulating the field of artificial intelligence. However, in recent years, several initiatives have been launched to lay the groundwork for a future regulatory framework:

• The White Paper on Artificial Intelligence and Data Governance (October 2024), published by the Ministry of Economic Development and Digitalization, outlines the Government’s vision for the ethical and sustainable development of AI, aligned with European Union standards.
• The Council of Europe Framework Convention on Artificial Intelligence, signed by the Republic of Moldova in September 2024, establishes a framework for ensuring that the development and use of AI systems respect human rights, democracy, and the rule of law.
• The Concept of the National AI Programme 2026–2030, currently under development, aims to define the measures required for the transposition of the EU acquis in the field of artificial intelligence and for aligning the national legal framework with the requirements of the EU Artificial Intelligence Act.
• Moldova AI Hub (launched in September 2025) is a public–private partnership bringing together ministries, universities, international organizations, and IT companies to foster AI expertise and develop AI solutions based on responsible governance.
• The Sub-Council for Artificial Intelligence and Applied Research (SCIA), established in April 2026, is an interministerial body responsible for coordinating the alignment of national policies, with the designation of a competent national authority for AI among its key priorities.
• The Moldova AI Readiness Report, prepared with the support of UNESCO, provides an assessment of the country’s preparedness and serves as a benchmark for the development and implementation of national AI initiatives.

The European Union’s primary legal instrument in this area is Regulation (EU) 2024/1689 on Artificial Intelligence (the AI Act), the first comprehensive legislative framework governing artificial intelligence at the European level. Its core approach is based on the classification of AI systems according to the level of risk they pose:

• Unacceptable risk: AI systems that are prohibited outright, including systems involving behavioural manipulation, social scoring, and unauthorized biometric identification.
• High risk: AI systems that are permitted only subject to strict regulatory requirements, including technical documentation, rigorous testing, mandatory human oversight, and compliance with specific risk management obligations. Examples include AI systems used in medical diagnosis, recruitment and employment decisions, and certain forms of targeted surveillance.
• Limited or minimal risk: AI systems subject to limited transparency obligations, requiring users to be informed when they are interacting with an AI system, such as chatbots.

The AI Act also introduces several additional regulatory requirements, including:

• Fundamental rights impact assessments for high-risk AI systems intended for use by public authorities or in the public sector;
• Mandatory registration of high-risk AI systems in a dedicated European Union database;
• Substantial administrative fines for non-compliance, calculated either as a percentage of the provider’s global annual turnover or as fixed monetary amounts, depending on the nature of the infringement;
• The establishment of an AI Office within the European Commission, alongside the designation of national competent authorities responsible for supervision and enforcement in each Member State.

The AI Act operates alongside the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the revised Product Liability Directive, which extends the liability regime to include software and artificial intelligence systems.

According to experts, once the new regulatory framework is adopted, its effects will be felt by public institutions, businesses, and citizens alike.

• Public institutions will be required to conduct fundamental rights impact assessments before deploying any high-risk AI system and to designate a national competent authority responsible for coordinating with the relevant European oversight bodies.
• Businesses and AI developers will be required to classify AI systems according to their level of risk, maintain comprehensive technical documentation, and demonstrate compliance with the applicable regulatory requirements. Failure to comply may result in substantial administrative fines comparable to those imposed under the EU regulatory framework.
• Citizens will have the right to be informed when interacting with an AI system, to request meaningful explanations of automated decisions that significantly affect them (such as decisions relating to credit approval or employment), and to benefit from enhanced protection against the abusive or unlawful use of artificial intelligence.

Experts argue that, for the Republic of Moldova, the timeline for the domestic implementation of AI regulation is closely linked to the country’s European Union accession process. The accession negotiations require the alignment of national legislation with the EU acquis prior to membership. Accordingly, the authorities in Chișinău aim to complete the majority of the necessary legislative and institutional preparations during the 2025–2027 period, so that, by the time the EU Artificial Intelligence Act becomes fully applicable, AI systems placed on the domestic market will comply with the new European standards.

Once the national legal framework is adopted by Parliament, it will establish specific implementation deadlines, including the designation of a national competent authority, the adoption of implementing rules, and the introduction of a national enforcement and sanctions regime. Until then, the measures already undertaken—such as the White Paper on Artificial Intelligence and Data Governance, the development of public policies, and the establishment of institutional coordination mechanisms—provide the necessary foundation for a gradual transition towards the European Union’s regulatory framework for artificial intelligence.

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The Republic of Moldova in March 2022, obtained candidate country status in June of the same year, and accession negotiations were officially opened in June 2024. The accession process mainly consists of proving that our country can adopt and implement EU legislation (the EU acquis), a process structured around 33 thematic chapters in six areas such as justice, the internal market, the environment, and economic policies. For each chapter of negotiations, there are clear stages, recommendations, and indicative deadlines, and Moldova’s progress is constantly monitored by European institutions.