During its activity in Moldova, the EBRD approved 125 projects for a total amount of 1.326 billion euros to finance various sectors, and it will support the implementation of projects in the field of waste management.
This was stated by the head of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development in Moldova Angela Sax during a meeting with the new Minister of the Environment of our country, Iuliana Cantaragiu. The purpose of the meeting was to define the government's priorities in the field of environmental protection and to set goals for future cooperation. During the meeting, the minister spoke about the government decree on the organization and functioning of the ministry, noting that the Ministry of the Environment is the central body endowed with the priority mission of protecting and sustainable management of natural resources through the development of effective policies in the field of environmental protection and rational use of natural resources. Iuliana Cantaragiu also stressed that the implementation of infrastructure projects in the field of water supply and sewerage, according to the restructuring, is a priority for another ministry. The parties discussed the priorities of the ministry in the field of environmental protection, among which the minister mentioned: a waste management policy focused on regionalization, the promotion of a circular economy and extended producer responsibility. Angela Sax appreciated the idea of solving the waste problem by continuing the waste management policy and implementing the Loan Agreement for Waste Management Regions N1, N5 and N8. In this context, she mentioned the readiness of the EBRD to continue providing technical assistance in the process of updating the feasibility studies in the Waste Management Regions N1 and N8. At the same time, Angela Sax noted that by the end of September the feasibility study for the pilot region - the Waste Management Regions N5 will also be updated. In this regard, the parties agreed to organize territorial meetings with the local public authorities of the Waste Management Regions N1 and N8 in order to inform them about the importance of working with COWI experts in order to start the process of collecting information to update the feasibility studies, as well as inform local public authorities from Waste Management Regions N5 - the pilot region, on the opinions of experts on the institutional aspects of creating a regional operator. Iuliana Cantaragiu clarified that in order to speed up the process of communication with local public authorities, from 13 to 24 September, working meetings will be held in the regions with priority Waste Management Regions N5 (Ungheni, Calarasi and Nisporeni districts) of the pilot region, where the preparation of a feasibility study is being completed and should be started planning and financing process. At the end, the parties confirmed their commitments under the Financing Agreement, including ensuring co-financing of projects from the state budget in accordance with the budget items envisaged by the programs through the State Environmental Fund, as well as the EBRD's commitment to determine the grant component of the loan, the first tranche of which will amount to 25 million euros. As InfoMarket reported earlier, the total cost of creating a solid waste management infrastructure in Moldova is estimated at 200 million euros. The European Investment Bank will provide our country with a loan of up to 100 million euros for this purpose, the first tranche will amount to 25 million euros. The agreement provides for co-financing of the investment program of the project by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. It is planned that the total investment for the creation in Moldova of the first 3 platforms for the management and processing of solid waste in the Republic of Moldova will amount to 42 million euros. The pilot project will be implemented in one of the waste management regions, which includes Nisporeni, Calarasi and Ungheni districts. // 03.09.2021 — InfoMarket.
