The German Presidency of the Council of the European Union has the historical chance to contribute to the restoration of Moldova as a success story of the Eastern Partnership (EaP), namely through the ECIPES (European Cohesion by Individual, Public and Entrepreneurs Support) program. The Institute for Development and Expertise of Projects (IDEP) of Moldova on July 1 requested German Chancellor Angela Merkel to favor the approval of the ECIPES program, IPN reports.
In a press release, IDEP says the ECIPES program is developed by ordinary people, for ordinary people and is supported by personalities and notable institutions of the EU. The program will benefit 17% of Moldova’s population, 50% of mayors and 2,000 young people. Also, IDEP Moldova repeatedly requested the authorities of EU27 to inform about the ECIPES program, respectfully asking to facilitate the approval of the program through representatives delegated by each country to work on EU institutions.
Owing to this program, the Moldovan citizens could apply online to have domestic electrical appliances replaced with appliances of the A+++ class and will get a one-off grant of €100 per person in support. The second large category of beneficiates includes the mayor’s offices that are twinned with EU municipalities. They could implement a local development project with a maximum of €10,000 in EU funding. The young people between the ages of 18-35 seeking to launch a business are the third large category of beneficiaries. They will get by €5,000 for a venture in the services sector or €15,000 for a manufacturing venture, €12,000 of which for buying equipment.
The ECIPES program was developed not as a project of NGOs, but as a strategic initiative of the European Commission for the EaP, Moldova at the first phase and Ukraine and Georgia afterward.
“After this pandemic, the citizens will remain without jobs, the SMEs will be affected, the municipalities and young people will face very serious challenges. This way, the program can contribute to optimizing the effect of the sums allocated within the Earner Partnership,” runs the press release.
