In Moldova, 579 applications have been submitted for participation in the “Europe is Close” local road modernization program, with a total project cost of 2.6 billion lei
Minister of Infrastructure and Regional Development, Vladimir Bolea announced this while presenting the results of the application stage for participation in this government program. According to him, 579 mayors from across the country responded to the call, submitting projects aimed at the construction or reconstruction of: local roads of district/municipal importance – 41.06 km; public roads and streets within the administrative boundaries of settlements – 516.42 km; pedestrian paths/areas for access to public institutions – 109.71 km. The total cost of the projects submitted is 2.6 billion lei, and more than 1.48 million citizens will benefit directly from these investments. The distribution of projects by development region is as follows: 239 – Central region; 178 – Northern region; 128 – Southern region; 16 – Chisinau municipality; 18 – Gagauzia ATU. The submission of dossiers will be followed by an administrative evaluation phase, which is currently being carried out by the National Bureau for Regional and Local Development in accordance with the procedures established by the program regulations. Similarly, projects will be evaluated from a technical and financial point of view according to several criteria, including the feasibility and relevance of the project, its compliance with national, sectoral, regional, and local development strategies, its impact on beneficiaries, etc. During the technical and financial evaluation period, specialists from the State Road Administration will also be prepared for field visits, together with specialists from the National Bureau for Regional and Local Development. These two stages are expected to be completed by the end of June this year. A prerequisite for the implementation of local road construction and modernization projects under the “Europe is Close” program is the existence of a General Development Plan by local authorities, including directions, priorities, and rules for the development of the settlement. As Vladimir Bolea noted, in this regard, projects for the development of General Plans for cities are being financed simultaneously under the “European Village” program: 36 projects are being implemented through “European Village-1”; 127 projects through “European Village-2”; 76 projects are under consideration by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Regional Development for approval of funding; 185 applications for funding have been submitted. The “Europe is Close” program is funded by the government through the “Budget +PLUS” financial package worth 500 million lei. The maximum limit for each project is 10 million lei. Funding is available for: small settlements (up to 1,500 inhabitants) - up to 2 million lei; settlements with a population of up to 1,500 inhabitants that are in the process of voluntary association - up to 5 million lei; large settlements (more than 1,500 inhabitants) - up to 9 million lei (with a 10% contribution from local authorities). // 19.05.2025 — InfoMarket.
