The European Union will support three new projects in the Republic of Moldova with a total budget of €36 million, which will contribute to developing local communities and the local mass media and to ensuring access to justice. The projects were announced in a festive event staged by the EU Team Europe Initiative, IPN reports.
The money for the three projects will be allocated by the EU and such member states as Slovakia, Germany, Poland, Austria, Lithuania, and France. No details about the conditions in which financing will be provided and about the project implementation periods have been yet given.
The Head of the EU Delegation to Moldova Janis Mazeiks said the project to support local communities is aimed at improving the quality of life and at alleviating the economic and social consequences of the pandemic. The assistance offered to the justice sector is designed to increase transparency, responsibility and access to this system. These objectives will be achieved by monitoring the courts of law, improving the capacities of lawyers, ensuring the protection of the right to a fair trial and offering high-quality legal assistance in accordance with the international standards. The courts of law will be monitored with the assistance of civil society. The project to support the local mass media is aimed at ensuring a high-quality product, improving the business skills of media managers and the sustainability of media institutions. The project will also support media startups.
Attending the event, Prime Minister of Natalia Gavrilița said that since the start of the pandemic, Team Europe has offered continuous support to the Republic of Moldova. “The member states, such as Romania, Austria, Poland, the Czech Reduplicate, Bulgaria, Hungary, and Germany and other states delivered protective equipment and medical devices to the value of over €20 million. These donations saved many lives through the health system,” stated the official
Team Europe was born out of the extraordinary conditions created in 2020 by the COVID-19 pandemic, as a united European response to the major needs in the partner countries. Team Europe combines the collective development resources of the EU, Member States – including their respective financial institutions and implementing agencies – the European Investment Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.
As part of Team Europe, Moldova has had access to a bilateral COVID-19 response package worth over €127 million in grants. It also received a macro-financial assistance package to the value of €100 million and €36 million from the EU’s €600 Economic Recovery Plan.
