The ECIPES program that was conceived with European financial support and was presented in June 2019 is available at the click of a mouse and aims to support directly the young people in business, the mayor’s offices that launch development programs and the citizens who want to replace domestic appliances for new, more energy efficient ones, Iurie Calestru, programs director at the Institute for Development and Expertise of Projects (IDEP), stated in a news conference at IPN.
Iurie Calestru said the program is intended for young people between the ages of 18 and 35 seeking to launch a business, who 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 mayor’s offices that are twinned with EU municipalities will be able to implement a local development project with a maximum of €10,000 in EU funding. The project needs to have an ecological component.
Owing to this program, the Moldovan citizens could apply online to have electrical appliances replaced with more energy efficient ones and will get a one-off grant of €100 per person in support, stated Iurie Calestru.
Applications to take part in the program would be filed online, using the electronic signature.
During over 24 months of the presentation of the ECIPES Program, IDEP Moldova has consulted the European Commission, the European Committee of the Regions, 60 members of the European Parliament who recorded questions for the attention of the European Commission, the Council of the European Union and the Council of Europe, the President of Romania Klaus Iohannis. IDEP Moldova also consulted the Ambassadors of Georgia and Ukraine in Brussels and governments and obtained a letter of support from the State Chancellery of the Republic of Moldova. Also, representatives of IDEP Moldova had a meeting with 12 Moldovan MPs, nine of whom cosigned a letter to the European Commission, asking to approve the ECIPES Program.
“We respectfully asked for assistance from the President of Romania Klaus Iohannis, by an open letter signed by 46 civil society organizations and famous personalities from the Republic of Moldova, in persuading the European Commission to direct the €40 million, which the Moldovan authorities failed to obtain in July 2020, directly to Moldovan citizens and localities,” said Iurie Calestru.
