The European Parliament supports the Republic of Moldova
The European Parliament has approved a support facility for Moldova meant to accelerate economic growth and worth 1.9 billion euros.
Sorin Iordan, 12.03.2025, 13:50
The European Parliament has decided to grant the Republic of Moldova the largest financial support package in this country’s history, worth 1.9 billion euros. The reform and economic growth facility for Moldova aims to help this country cope with the major challenges it faces, in particular the impact of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine on its security, economy and population.
The package provides for 520 million euros in the form of grants, alongside 1.5 billion euros in the form of low interest rate loans, allowing Moldova to reform without accumulating unsustainable debt. The facility also provides for 18% pre-financing of total support enabling quick mobilisation of resources to stimulate energy security, the anti-corruption infrastructure and the modernisation of public services. 20% of non-reimbursable funds will be earmarked for the consolidation of Moldova’s institutions through digital governance systems, the training of public servants and judicial reforms, vital steps for an efficient management of EU funds.
Romanian MEP Siegfried Mureşan said these funds will create the conditions for the Moldovan state to become stronger from an economic, institutional and social point of view and to come even closer to the European Union. Siegfried Mureşan:
“The funds will be used for road and railway infrastructure works, including the bridge over the river Prut, so as to better connect Moldova to the European Union. The funds will also be channelled to energy links, both electricity and gas, between Moldova and Romania, as well as to education facilities, schools and kindergartens, and the modernisation of hospitals, including the construction of two new regional hospitals, one in the north and another in the south of the republic.”
Siegfried Mureşan warned however that if Moldova will be governed in the future by governments that do not comply with their commitments, the European economic growth plan will be in peril. With the approval of the support facility, the European Parliament decided to open a new liaison office in the Moldovan capital Chişinău. This will act as a point of contact between Brussels and national Parliaments, civil society and local partners in the region of the EU’s Eastern Partnership, Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova. The speaker of the Moldovan Parliament Igor Grosu welcomed the decision and said the office will help improve the legislative process and better inform citizens about the benefits of integration into the big European family. Moldova’s deputy prime minister for European integration Cristina Gherasimov said the decision is a strong sign of support. The Republic of Moldova applied for membership of the European Union in March 2022 and was granted EU-candidate status in June that year.
