As many as 496 infrastructure projects are being implemented in Moldovan localities as part of the “European Village” program. The head of the National Office for Regional and Local Development Mihai Croitoru said that most of the projects refer to the rehabilitation of schools and kindergartens, building of water supply and sewerage systems in villages and thermal insulation of public institutions. The total value of the rojects is 2 billion lei and the goal of the program is to modernize Moldova’s villages, IPN reports.
In March 2022, President Maia Sandu announced the launch of the national local development program “European Village”. According to the authorities, tens of projects started in Moldova’s villages since then have been already completed and over 100,000 people enjoy benefits.
“Over 720 project proposals were submitted within the program and 492 of them were accepted for being financed, with the total value of over 2 billion lei. In the course of the year, there were accepted other projects that were a follow-up to projects launched with financing from the National Ecological Fund. Respectively, now we have 496 projects under implementation, which is 496 mayor’s offices benefit from financing within the “European Village” program. We have an eloquent example in Cornești village of Ungheni district, where the people didn’t have running water and sewerage. A sum of 4 million lei was allocated through the “European Village” and the villagers there since last year have had running water and sewerage. The paradox of the previous years was that the mayors were allocated by 1 million or 2 million a year and the mayor was held hostage, with the projects lasting for 4-5 years. Now the mayors are offered by up to10 million lei and this money can be used to implement large-scale projects,” Mihai Croitoru stated in the program “Public Space” on Radio Moldova station.
He noted that the local public authorities decide the most pressing problem of the locality, which needs to be financed with state budget funds. Most of the projects implemented within the “European Village” program are projects to modernize public institutions.
“We also have projects to install street public lighting systems, to repair houses of culture and mayor’s offices. There are also cases when mayor’s offices are built, like in Lăpușna village that didn’t have such a building and is erecting it now with an investment of 10 million lei. Other projects are projects to set up playgrounds, to rehabilitate and outfit kindergartens, to thermally insulate schools. The mayor chooses the most vital project for the locality,” stated the head of the National Office for Regional and Local Development Mihai Croitoru.
In April 2023, the authorities launched the “European Village Express” program. The maximum value of a project as part of his program is 450,000 lei, while the implementation period is of six months.
