The EU has announced an additional 52 million euros for Moldova to support the country's long-term resilience, recovery and reforms.
As noted in the message of the European Commission, in particular, the EU will mobilize an additional 52 million euros for Moldova to increase the country's long-term resilience, recovery and reforms and support the implementation of the Association Agreement between the EU and Moldova. European Commissioner for Enlargement and Neighborhood Policy Olivér Várhelyi said the EU continues to work with its Moldovan partners to implement long-term reforms that benefit people. “The last couple of years have been extremely difficult: the COVID-19 pandemic, the gas crisis, and now the aftermath of Russia's war in Ukraine have all taken their toll. The response of the Moldovan people to the Ukrainian refugee crisis was exemplary. The EU quickly mobilized support to help Moldova take care of Ukrainian refugees. We remain committed to accelerating the implementation of the Economic and Investment Plan to ensure Moldova's long-term recovery and increase its resilience. This new financial assistance aims to support Moldova in its sustainable and inclusive socio-economic development,” said Olivér Várhelyi. As noted, two actions will be funded under the EU4Reforms annual support program for 2021: this action will support Moldova in implementing reforms related to the EU-Moldova Association Agreement and the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area. As noted in the European Commission, the promotion of reforms in Moldova, especially in the field of good governance, is vital for turning the country into an attractive place for investment and doing business. Supporting strategic communication efforts in Moldova will be especially helpful in combating disinformation. EU4Recovery and Resilience: This action will contribute to the sustainable and inclusive economic development of Moldova, including by supporting SMEs, improving the business climate through trade facilitation and improving employment opportunities. He will also support a transformative Green Agenda for Moldova to ensure sustainable economic development. According to the European Commission, the mentioned additional assistance is provided to Moldova in addition to the current crisis support provided by the EU to Moldova, which includes: budget support - 53 million euros; a €150 million macro-financial assistance program will be made available in the coming months; 13 million euros for humanitarian aid; 15 million euros to support the decent and efficient reception of refugees, as well as the safe transit and repatriation of third-country nationals, 15 million euros to support the EU Border Assistance Mission (EUBAM), which recently refocused its activities on helping Moldovan border guards manage the arrival of refugees. She will work with the Frontex agency, which is increasing its presence in the country in accordance with the Agreement on the status of cooperation in the field of border management, signed on March 17, 2022 by the EU and Moldovan authorities. In addition to crisis management, the EU continues to support the long-term recovery and resilience of Moldova, in particular through the Economic and Investment Plan (EIP) of the Eastern Partnership, which aims to mobilize about 3.4 billion euros of public and private investments for Moldova's 5 objectives: support SMEs, trade facilitation, energy efficiency, communications and human capital development. As part of the EIP, on March 31, the European Investment Bank and Moldova agreed on a loan of 150 million euros to connect Moldova to the main trans-European network (TEN-T network).// 05.05.2022 — InfoMarket
