The EU will help Moldova align the State Labour Inspectorate with European standards
On 19 November in Chișinău, the European Union and the Government of the Republic of Moldova launched a Twinning project aimed at strengthening the capacities of the State Labour Inspectorate of Moldova (ISM).
The project, financed by the EU with a budget of €1.5 million for a period of 30 months, aims to align ISM with European and International Labour Organization standards and good practices in the fields of occupational safety and health, combating undeclared work, and preventing labour exploitation.
The launch event was attended by representatives of national authorities, EU institutions, diplomatic missions, social partners and experts from partner states, including the Minister of Labour and Social Protection of the Republic of Moldova Natalia Plugaru; Deputy Head of the EU Delegation Mate Csicsai; Chargé d’Affaires of the Embassy of Spain in Moldova Francisco Aguilera Aranda; and the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Slovak Republic to Moldova Pavol Ivan.
In her speech, Minister of Labour and Social Protection Natalia Plugaru underlined the strategic importance of the project for institutional modernization and alignment with EU standards:
“Strengthening the State Labour Inspectorate and the reforms initiated both at ISM and the National Employment Agency are essential for creating a safe, fair and predictable labour environment. These changes provide businesses with the confidence they need to invest while ensuring full protection for workers. Institutional modernization is a key condition for advancing towards European standards, and with the support of our partners, especially the European Union, I am confident that we will succeed.”
The project’s main objectives are the modernization of ISM’s legal and procedural framework, development of professional competences of labour inspectors, improvement of risk-based inspection planning, effective use of statistical data, and modernization of tools and information systems. At the same time, the project seeks to strengthen institutional communication to increase public trust and improve cooperation with employers and workers.
The project is being implemented with the support of two EU Member States: Spain – through the Labour and Social Security Inspectorate, and Slovakia – through the Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family and the National Labour Inspectorate. Starting from April 2025, technical teams from Spain and Slovakia launched the first working missions focused on evaluating ISM capacities and aligning procedures with EU occupational safety and health standards.
