The value of state aid granted to economic agents without prior notification to the Competition Council reached 2.81 billion lei last year, compared to 767 million lei in 2024. The difference comes in the context of inventorying a larger number of state aid schemes, carried out in the process of harmonizing legislation with European Union standards, reports IPN.
According to the activity report of the Competition Council, examined by the parliamentary committee on economy, budget and finance, in 2025, 15 notifications regarding the granting of state aid were examined. Out of these, 11 measures were authorized, and in four cases, it was found that they do not represent state aid according to the legislation.
The President of the Competition Council, Alina Cebotariov, has drawn attention to the staff shortage in the institution. Out of the 120 approved positions, only 68 were filled last year. “The level of remuneration is very low. The net salary of an employee ranges between 11.1 thousand and 16.2 thousand lei. Consequently, we do not have the capacity to supplement the staff, and retaining personnel is very complicated,” declared Alina Cebotariov.
The head of the Competition Council mentioned that the lack of personnel is an additional challenge in the context of joining the European Union. The institution is set to take on new responsibilities, including monitoring state aid, overseeing online platforms, and transposing European legislation.
State aid represents any support measure granted to enterprises from public resources, which offers them an economic advantage. This can be in the form of subsidies, tax facilities, preferential loans, state guarantees, or other forms of support. In the Republic of Moldova, the Competition Council is the authority responsible for authorizing, monitoring, and reporting state aid, verifying their compatibility with competition rules.
