Water and sanitation, better jobs and living conditions with EU support

The European Union, in partnership with the governments of Germany, Austria, and Poland, highlighted the key achievements of the TEAM EUROPE INITIATIVE ‘EU4Moldova: Local Communities’ over the past four years. The joint investment of over EUR 25 million has helped communities improve essential public services, modernise local infrastructure and create new economic opportunities, providing residents with better living conditions. At the same time, the programme has supported young people to develop their professional skills, encouraging citizens to actively participate in community life, thereby strengthening the long-term development prospects of the regions. 

More specifically, under the ‘EU4Moldova: Local communities’ programme, more than 30,000 citizens of the Edinet, Leova and Straseni districts will have access to modern water and sewerage services. 35 public institutions like kindergartens, schools, health and culture centres in these regions were connected to well-functioning networks, 13 educational institutions in the Straseni and Leova districts were additionally equipped with efficient drinking water filtration systems. 

In Leova raion around 13,000 residents benefit from waste collection and modern waste management services, enjoying cleaner streets and a healthier environment in the community. The residents of Iargara and five other neighboring villages benefit today from a modern public waste management service, made possible through investments from the ‘EU4Moldova: Local Communities’ Programme and contributions from local authorities. The Iargara City Hall purchased specialised equipment for waste collection, transport and compaction, as well as around 5,000 bins distributed to households and local businesses. 

The European Union has also supported the modernisation of technical and vocational education in the Republic of Moldova. With the support of the programme, the curriculum and new textbooks were developed for five key professions, and better learning conditions were created for more than 1,200 young people and teachers in four vocational educational institutions. Student dormitories were renovated and equipped with solar panels to ensure energy savings, as well as practical training facilities were equipped with modern tools and equipment. 

In the economic field, around 80 businesses have been created or expanded through the measures implemented under this programme, generating more than 100 jobs – 30% of which are occupied by women. 

Moreover, the EU-LEADER approach to community led local development in Moldova received continues support. While the LEADER Programme was supported in its digitalisation efforts at the Agency for Interventions and Payments in Agriculture (AIPA) as well as capacity strengthening of 24 Local Action Groups (LAGs), the project’s own fund was directed to incipient or innovative role model LAGs. These Local Action Groups successfully implemented 198 projects across the country, in 430 communities. Among these, 87 projects focused on environmental protection — reducing carbon emissions, improving waste management, and promoting sustainable resource management systems. Supported by 39% beneficiary co-financing, the EU-LEADER Rural Development Fund 3.0 facilitated investments that created 65 new and permanent jobs, giving new impetus to the development of rural communities in Moldova. 

The EU4Moldova: Local Communities programme was launched in 2022 as a Team Europe Initiative to strengthen local development and improve the lives of citizens, with a particular focus on the Edineț, Leova, and Strășeni regions. 

The programme received grant funding from the European Union (EUR 16,000,000), the Austrian Development Cooperation (ADC) – EUR 7,704,000, the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) – EUR 953,413, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland – Polish Aid – EUR 500,000. 

The programme is implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, the Austrian Development Agency (ADA), and Solidarity Fund PL (SFPL) in Moldova.