EU4Accountability supports Moldova’s European integration through exchange of best practices

At the beginning of September, representatives of civil society and local authorities from ten districts of the Republic of Moldova – have made a study visit to Iași and Sibiu, Romania, to exchange experiences and best practices in the field of participatory budgeting, community development and social responsibility thanks to the support of the European Union.

ALDA and GEN Moldova conducted a study visit in Iași to learn about the development of social enterprises in Romania, its legal framework and cooperation with local authorities, and their social and economic impact. Local programmes in the fields of social services, inclusion and integration of disadvantaged groups into the labor force, lobbying, advocacy, and funding for NGO growth were presented to Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and Local Public Authorities (LPAs) from the Republic of Moldova to increase their knowledge in the field.

The visit to the Refugee Centre supported by Bethany Social Services Foundation, allowed for an active exchange of best practices between participants from both countries who have been on the front line of the crisis caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Participants discussed challenges of the integration services, psychological support and translation provided by volunteers at the centre, as well as the tailoring of support to the needs of beneficiaries. 

The visit to Iasi County Council provided insights with regard to the legislation and mechanisms of public funding of the non-governmental sector, as well as best practices of cross-border projects.  Representatives of the Iasi Municipality emphasized the importance of developing partnerships at local community level and shared examples of municipal programmes that support youth and cultural projects. Participatory budgeting processes are managed by the Local Office for Participatory Democracy, which develops projects and works through the Iasi Neighbourhood Centres.

Civil Society and Local Authorities representatives of Cahul, Comrat, Făleștii, Glodeni and Rîșcani conducted the study in Sibiu with the support of PIN Moldova and Moștenitorii. During the visit to Marginimea Sibiului, the participants met with the district administration, the mayors of the region’s communes and civic activists, who provided them with more information about local government and the tools they use to interact with society.

The Moldovan delegation was shown how the community is involved in the development of social, health, youth, sports, cultural and educational strategies. In addition to the traditional methods that allow the local administration to ensure transparency in decision-making, such as publishing the documents relevant to the decisions taken on the council’s website, public officials ensure a process of involving the population in public consultations through the Civic Consultative Council Platform, focus groups, public debates, as well as the mobile application “Sibiu City App”, which allows consultation with a large number of citizens. According to the authorities, this variety of interactive tools allows citizens to participate more actively in the process of elaborating development strategies, budgets and other strategic documents for the development of the county, but also contributes to increasing citizens’ trust in the decision-making process. 

“Our role is to support all projects that contribute to the development of communities and the preservation and promotion of local culture, customs and traditions. We need economically and socially healthy communities,” said Vlad Vasiu, Vice-President of Sibiu District Council, to the guests from the Republic of Moldova.

These activities are carried out in the framework of EU4Accountability –  Empowered Civil Society for Increased Social Accountability in Moldova, which aims to strengthen the capacity of civil society organisations in Moldova to better play their role as actors of governance and to increase the social accountability of local and central public administration in Moldova.

EU4Accountability is funded by the European Union and implemented in consortium by ALDA – European Association for Local Democracy, European Partnership for Democracy and People in Need Moldova.