In October, the Moldovan authorities introduced mandatory licensing for grain imports under the state of emergency. In December, the state of emergency in the country was extended for 30 days starting from December 1. Moldovan Prime Minister Dorin Recean told reporters that the state of emergency would not be extended further.
"Today the governmental commission for emergency situations decided to introduce licensing on imports of a number of grains, namely wheat and corn, for three months starting from the day the decision was made," the commission said in a statement.
Both physical and legal entities can apply to get a license, the statement read. The applications will be considered by a specially established commission.
In the summer and late autumn, Moldovan farmers staged mass protests in the country, demanding a reduction in VAT on grains, restrictions on Ukrainian grain imports and access to European funds for the agricultural sector, as well as an increase in the national agricultural development fund. They also urged the Moldovan authorities to introduce a moratorium on the payment of debts to creditors and to cancel penalties imposed by banks until October 31, 2024. In addition, the protesters demanded that the government allocate over 1 billion lei ($56.3 million) from the national agricultural development fund to support the sector during the crisis.
The Moldovan authorities introduced a state of emergency on February 24, 2022, and have extended it several times since then. In such conditions, the Moldovan Commission for Emergency Situations has the right to make decisions without parliamentary approval to provide all consumers with energy resources and maintain the country's energy security. The Moldovan opposition has continuously opposed the extension of the state of emergency.