SEPA transformed Moldova's payments market in three months: seven out of ten euro transfers are now processed through this system instead of SWIFT, saving millions of euros - the NBM
Governor of the National Bank of Moldova (NBM), Anca Dragu, announced this during a meeting with the Director-General of the European Commission's Directorate-General for Enlargement and Eastern Neighbourhood (DG ENEST), Gert Jan Koopman. According to the National Bank, the discussion took place in Brussels, where Anca Dragu is participating in the international conference “2025: The End of an Era? What Next?” organized by the National Bank of Belgium on February 13. The dialogue focused on Moldova's accession to the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA), the implementation of the European Commission's recommendations in the context of preparations for EU accession, the harmonization of national legislation with EU legislation and international standards, as well as macroeconomic developments and prospects for Moldova's financial system. During the meeting, Anca Dragu highly appreciated the fruitful cooperation with the European Commission in the process of joining and participating in SEPA, emphasizing the immediate, direct, and tangible economic impact of SEPA payments on citizens and businesses. She noted that the European Union is about people and for people. In this spirit, Moldova is aligning itself with European standards, implementing reforms, and accelerating integration processes so that citizens and businesses can directly benefit from these changes. “We are already seeing the real impact of European financial integration – more accessible services, lower costs, and a more dynamic financial market. In just three months, SEPA has transformed the payments market in Moldova, achieving clear dominance: seven out of ten euro transfers are now processed through this system instead of SWIFT. This is a remarkable result, reflected in a cost reduction of more than 90%, which has brought savings of millions of euros to the national economy and direct benefits to the people and economy of Moldova,” emphasized the NBM Governor. In this context, Anca Dragu noted the importance of intensifying cooperation in Moldova's European integration process, as well as the technical assistance opportunities provided by the EU. At the same time, issues related to the assessment of the equivalence of Moldova's banking prudential system to that of the European Union in accordance with the methodology of the European Banking Authority were addressed. // 13.02.2026 – InfoMarket.
