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“You are not alone!” — Estonia shares EU accession experience with Ukraine and Moldova

Moldova EU ESTDEV
Before joining the European Union, Estonia was like Moldova: poor, misunderstood and unknown! A former Estonian diplomat explains how Estonia turned it around.

By: Marian Männi

On a grey morning in Chisinau, in a soulless conference room, Taavi Toom, the former head of the European Union Department and former director of Security Policy at the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, spoke to a room full of Moldovan government employees. 

“You don’t join the European Union for anyone else but yourselves, your children and your families,” Toom said. “You do this for a better quality of air and food. For a better life!” 

The listeners looked up from their notebooks as if it suddenly dawned on them—it could happen. Moldova could join the EU—a dream no one dared say aloud a few years ago. Now, the question is not “if” Moldova will join, but how and when. 

Toom was in Moldova for a two-day training session, part of a project funded by the Estonian Centre for International Development (ESTDEV) to prepare the Moldovan public sector for negotiations and integration with the European Union.

Toom knows precisely what Moldova’s current EU accession talks mean. He experienced them firsthand more than two decades ago at the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where he coordinated Estonia's preparations for EU accession. 

He has already noticed that Moldova is moving faster ahead in some aspects. For example, Moldova took only seven working days to  reply to the EU’s Questionnaire, while Estonia took about a year.

“You did it incredibly quickly!” Toom said to his Moldovan colleagues. A contented murmur passed through the room. “I don’t know how you did it, but it proves you are very capable when fully mobilised,” adding, “I guess you spent many sleepless nights.”

Will EU membership bring better traffic?

In Estonia, there were many unrealistic or false expectations about the EU before joining. “It was a common belief that the traffic culture would change overnight, and people would start driving decently,” Toom said with a smile, saying that people also thought EU rules would forbid Estonian fruit and vegetables to be sold in shops and myths circulated about the EU only accepting perfect-looking cucumbers and tomatoes.

However, EU rules did require some pushback from Estonian diplomats. For one, the EU’s specific hunting quotas wouldn’t work in Estonia, where half the country is covered in forest. No, or less, hunting would mean explosive population growth for certain animals, which would, in turn, threaten the agricultural sector or increase human-animal conflicts.

The EU also wanted to forbid eating Baltic herring, claiming it was toxic, but it plays a big part in Estonian cuisine and identity. “We had to fight for it and say that the Baltic people have been eating these small fish for generations, and nothing bad has happened,” Toom recalled.

Toom pointed out that Moldova should also prepare for similar challenges and consider what is unique about Moldova and most important to Moldovans. “You don’t have to accept everything; it’s a negotiation,” he said.

Changing the perception from “post-Soviet” to “part of the family”

Parallel to the EU legal negotiations, Estonian leadership also had to figure out how to put Estonia on a map. They had to show that Estonia was worthy of a spot in the European family, not just a colourless country near Russia. For Western Europe, all post-Soviet states seemed the same.

How do you change the perception of a country? It was up to officials like Toom to find out. Toom explained how they invited Estonian composers and artists to help develop a positive representation of Estonia for domestic and international audiences, as politicians’ messages are perceived differently than those of beloved and respected artists.

Estonia decided on two main themes to explain Estonia to the world: digital society and beautiful, clean nature. The Estonian leadership also proactively sought coverage instead of waiting for foreign journalists to pick up their phones. They regularly contacted the press and invited groups of future European leaders to Estonia to show off local culture.“All these investments paid off multiple times over. It was completely worth it,” said Toom.

Supporting Ukraine’s EU ambitions

UA delegation in Estonia
A delegation from Ukrainian ministries visiting Estonia as part of an EU training program in the spring of 2023. Eva-Maria Liimets is the fourth from the right. Photo: Private collection.

Across the border from Moldova, Estonian experts have also travelled to Ukraine to speak to officials about the same topic. Ukraine and Moldova started accession negotiations at the same time.  “Estonia got help twenty years ago, and now it’s our time to give back,” Toom said.

One of the training coordinators, Eva-Maria Liimets, former Estonian minister of Foreign Affairs and ESTDEV’s current programme manager for Democracy and the Rule of Law, said that the Ukrainians are hopeful and dream of joining before 2030, as predicted. “Our job is to explain to them how time-consuming and deep this process is,” Liimets said. “Estonia never fulfilled 100% of the national action plan’s promises. It’s okay to plan big and achieve 70%.” 

Because of the war, Ukraine might be treated as an exception. The journey ahead is long, and Liimets sees it as her role to keep this optimism up throughout the coming years.

In Moldova, the EU referendum showed that many people still don’t understand how the EU could benefit them. About half of the people living in Moldova opposed joining the EU, while Moldovans living abroad overwhelmingly voted in favour. Ukraine doesn’t have that problem. People are clear about where their future lies. “The EU is seen as an opportunity to push an aggressive Russia away,” said Liimets.

Many changes still need to be explained to average Ukrainians. For example, you can still see jam in village shops without an ingredient label. This won’t be allowed in the future, and Liimets understands how there could be resistance among the general population. Who wants additional bureaucracy? However, the accession talks have not reached this point yet, so those conversations will have to wait for now.

Ukraine and Moldova share a similar path

Even if Moldovan and Ukrainian EU paths are linked, communication between the two countries is limited. Estonia also experienced limited communications with the other nine countries set to join in 2004, even without being engaged in an active war. As accession drew closer, though, all ten countries began meeting regularly to coordinate efforts.

At the moment, other EU member states are watching Moldova and Ukraine. “It’s not just a matter of what the EU will give you, but what will a new member state bring?” said Liimets, pointing out that help and support would be available, especially from Estonia. “You are not alone!”