European Groupings of Territorial Cooperation (EGTCs) can bring important European funds to the Republic of Moldova. In the case of an association between Moldova and Romania for the creation of an EGTC, any type of funding attracted should fully comply with European Union legislation, said Alina Popa, executive director of the Euronest Intercommunity Development Association, Romania.
In a press conference on Monday, Alina Popa explained that EGTCs are distinct in that they have legal personality and are recognized at the level of the European Commission. Unlike Euro-regions, EGTCs are governed by the law of the state in which they are based. From the perspective of the intention to establish such a grouping in Romania, with partners from the Republic of Moldova, the legal provisions of Romania would apply to this grouping.
In the case of such an association, any type of funding attracted for members from Romania and the Republic of Moldova should fully comply with European Union legislation. It is an element that would also aid the European integration effort of the Republic of Moldova, believes Alina Popa. In her opinion, it is extremely important the way in which the Republic of Moldova started to establish the Intercommunity Development Associations, which are also the basis of the European Groupings of Territorial Cooperation. “The fact that these ADI-type cooperation formulas exist, I think, represents a very good preparation for attracting investments, regardless of whether we are talking about pre-accession or post-accession programs. The European Commission does not finance fragmented or local impact investments. It is important that the administrative-territorial units learn that they can only apply together”, Alina Popa emphasized.
Discussing the first initiatives for a European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation, an ideal strategy would be to have a bottom-up approach, based on Romania’s experience since 2007, when it became a member of the European Union, says Alina Popa. An EGTC can only act within the limits of the powers of its members. As long as an administrative-territorial unit or a municipality does not have, by law, the ability to make investments in certain areas, it would theoretically be impossible to solve a pressing problem if the relevant entity at the national level was not part of this partnership, explained Euronest executive director.
The press conference was held within the project “Double integration through cooperation and information. Continuity”, financed by the Department for Relations with the Republic of Moldova. The content of this conference does not represent the official position of the Department for Relations with the Republic of Moldova.
