European Parliament to vote this week on the negotiating position regarding the 1.8 billion-euro Fund for Moldova
This was announced by MEP Siegfried Muresan, co-chairman of the Parliamentary Committee for the Moldova-EU Association, co-rapporteur of the European Parliament on the 1.8-billion-euro Economic Growth plan for Moldova. He said that his main goal, as the European Parliament's chief negotiator on the above-mentioned legislative document, is to adopt the support instrument on time and under the best possible conditions for the Moldovan citizens. Earlier, Siegfried Muresan emphasized that he requested an increase in the preliminary financing from 7 per cent, as envisaged by the European Commission's legislative proposal, to 20 per cent of the total amount of the Fund for Moldova. The MEP said he had submitted to the specialized commissions of the European Parliament a draft report on the 1.8 billion-euro European Fund for Moldova. “It is important that these funds come to Moldova as soon as possible to finance roads, hospitals, bridges and modernization of public administration. These are measures that lead to an improvement in people's living standards and accelerate the country's European integration. Moldova needs this money. And they are much more useful now than in 2-3 years. That is why I proposed to increase the preliminary financing that the EU provides to Moldova soon after the mechanism came into force, but before the actual implementation of the Reform Program, on the basis of which the funds from the mechanism will be absorbed,” Siegfried Muresan said. Earlier it was reported that the European Council approved a mandate to negotiate with the European Parliament on the Economic Growth Plan for Moldova, which envisages financial assistance of up to 1.8 billion euros for 2025-2027. These funds are meant for infrastructure, socio-economic reforms and Moldova's integration into the single European market. It is planned that the mentioned assistance mechanism will support Moldova in implementing EU-related reforms and will stimulate its economic convergence with the EU on the basis of an ambitious reform program. The mechanism will also contribute to Moldova's alignment with EU values, laws, norms, standards, policies and practices with a view to future EU accession. “The mechanism will cover 2025-2027 and is expected to provide Moldova with up to 285 million euros in grants and 1.5 billion euros in concessional loans,” the EU Council explained. It was emphasized that the EU is firmly committed to back Moldova on its path towards EU accession. Comprehensive reforms, together with investments, are necessary to bring Moldova closer to the EU. The new mechanism will give a significant impetus to the EU's support for such reforms and investments. It is planned that the agreement on the negotiating position of the European Council will allow the Council president to start negotiations with the European Parliament after the Parliament votes in favor of his mandate. Earlier, Moldovan President Maia Sandu said that the first tranche from the EU Investment Plan for Moldova of 1.8 billion euros for 2025-2027 will arrive in the country in the first months of 2025. The relevant agreement was reached during a working visit to Brussels, where the head of state agreed to speed up the access to the European financing. The EU allocates funds for the following purposes: new roads, bridges and railroad infrastructure; energy security - to complete a new power transmission line and start the construction of 2 more, which will connect Moldova to the EU power grid; construction of 2 new well-equipped hospitals in Cahul and Balti; improvement of access to financing and support for 25 thousand enterprises, including small family businesses, etc., as well as for the construction of a new electricity transmission line. // 28.01.2025 - InfoMarket
