EU launches new ‘Mayors for Economic Growth Facility’ in the Republic of Moldova

Local authorities will benefit from new capabilities and access to funding to boost economic growth

The European Union, together with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Moldova, kicked off the new Mayors for Economic Growth Facility (M4EG) in Moldova on 5 October 2021. The M4EG Facility will aim at boosting equitable and green development in the Eastern Partnership region, namely Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Republic of Moldova, and Ukraine.

While building on the successes and learning of the previous phase from 2017 to 2020, the new Mayors Facility seeks to introduce new innovative tools and practices to address current and future challenges of municipalities in the Eastern Partnership countries.

On 27 September, the EU and UNDP Moldova launched the new Call for Interest “Portfolios for municipal transformations” under the Mayors for Economic Growth (M4EG) Facility. This Call for interest is open for acting members of the M4EG Initiative. More details on the selection process and eligibility are available here.

To support the implementation of local economic plans, together with the EU, UNDP will introduce an approach that is currently being piloted within the organization, called a portfolio approach. This method builds on the assumption that the world is complex and operates through systems (e.g. the market, climate change, inequalities), and where no quick fixes or sing-point solutions will do the trick for positive sustainable change. The proposed method will support municipalities in building programmes that incorporate a systems lens, addressing challenges from multiple angles, designing initiatives that are coherent and connected, and practice agile and adaptive management.

Background:

The Mayors for Economic Growth (M4EG) Facility is part of the M4EG initiative, launched and funded by the European Union since 2017. The M4EG Facility is run by UNDP, starting from 2021, in close cooperation with the EU, local authorities, and a range of other partners.

Learn more about the Facility: https://www.m4eg.eu/ro/