The European Union will provide €120 million to Moldova through the European Neighborhood Program for Agriculture and Rural Development (ENPARD) to support agriculture, European Commissioner for Agriculture Dacian Cioloş announced in Chisinau on May 22, IPN reports.
The program covers the period between 2014 and 2020. With its help, Moldova will find solutions not to sustain losses within the Association Agreement, in the free trade in agriculture, and to financially support the development of agricultural competitiveness, said the European Commissioner.
A part of the money will be allocated to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development for financing the national agriculture and rural development strategy. “That’s why we insisted on adopting this strategy as it includes investment measures in agriculture and the agrifood sector for the agrifood products to meet the European norms and standards,” said the official.
The first tranche of €64 million will be approved by the European Commission by July. Afterward, the Government will be able to start to implement projects based on this strategy.
Dacian Cioloş also said that a consultative body is needed in Moldova, as in each of the EU member states, which would monitor and counsel the Ministry of Agriculture as regards the financing of projects. Such a committee should include representatives of associations and organizations working in agriculture.
