The European Union continues to provide support to the Republic of Moldova in the fight against COVID-19. From the beginning of the pandemic, the EU has developed an assistance and support strategy for the Eastern Partnership countries. The EU reacted fast and responded to the urgent needs of countries in the Eastern Partnership during the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of Team Europe, the EU has mobilised an ambitious support package totalling over €980 million to help tackle immediate needs, such as support to the health sector and vulnerable communities, as well as short-term needs to support the social and economic recovery of the six countries.

As part of this, a tailor-made COVID-19 response package for Moldova worth over €127 millions of grants is being mobilised using a combination of existing and new funds to deliver concrete support to people. In addition to the COVID-19 response package, an emergency COVID-19 macro-financial assistance programme for Moldova, worth €100 million in loans on highly favourable terms, was adopted in April 2020. The first instalment of €50 million was disbursed in November 2020. The second tranche is set to be disbursed in 2021, if the relevant conditions are met. In collaboration with local civil society organisations and international organisations, the EU has taken a number of actions to mitigate the COVID-19 crisis, protect frontline workers, vulnerable people, and rehabilitate the business environment.

Healthcare sector

EU assistance and support has been permanently delivered through donations and programs launched in the Republic of Moldova, including:

• Providing the country’s healthcare system with medical and protective equipment, funded by the EU and purchased by the WHO, within the «Solidarity for Health» initiative:
  • waterproof gowns and 1.600 disposable non-woven protective suits, delivered through UNICEF;
  • a humanitarian lot worth €2.8 million, which encompassed 1.2 million surgical masks, 348,000 N95 respirators, over 16,000 goggles and 36,000 gowns;
  • EU, Germany and WHO have provided the national healthcare system with 300 oxygen concentrators, 1,200 pulse oximeters and five assist-control ventilators, valuing worth €685,000.
• Donation of medical equipment worth €1 million, including 34 ventilators and 41 monitors for patients, an action carried out in partnership with the World Health Organization;
• Delivery of medical and personal protective equipment, through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism under the umbrella of Team Europe:
  • Poland – 22.100 l of disinfectant, 30.000 protective masks, 4800 protective screens;  
  • Austria – €16,420 (200,000 protective masks, 3,740 l of disinfectant, 500 blankets);
  • Czech Republic – €1,34 million (300,000 protective masks, 100,000 gloves, 5,000 protective suits and 55 lung ventilators);
  • Romania — €2,3 million (1,500,000 surgical masks, 100,000 FFP3 masks, 100,000 protective suits, 100,000 gloves);
  • Romania — 72,000 doses of AstraZeneca anti-COVID vaccines. 
• Countries such as Romania, Lithuania and Slovakia provided professional assistance in the healthcare system, delegating specialists to work together with their counterparts in the Republic of Moldova as a result of the EU Civil Protection Mechanism; 
• The emergency response has been complemented by healthcare, research and water worth €5 million, which were included in the EU4Moldova Annual 2020 Action Program. So far, health support has encompassed the procurement, delivery and installation of two Hamilton C1 lung ventilators at Slobozia Hospital, which serves patients on both banks of the Dniester River;
• Moldova received 38,970 anti-COVID vaccines, of which 14,400 doses of AstraZeneca and 24,570 doses of BioNTech-Pfizer through the COVAX platform. The EU and the Team Europe are the biggest contributors to the COVAX initiative. 
• €15 million euros budget support will be provided to the Republic of Moldova to ensure anti-crisis measures, increase the resilience of the medical system, rehabilitate micro, small and medium enterprises and support vulnerable groups. The financing agreement for the COVID-19 Resilience Contract for the Republic of Moldova has been signed.

Social Sector

The EU is supporting and funding social programs in order to mitigate the impact of the pandemic on society. The support also comes from member countries;

• €11.3 million in grants for civil society organizations providing services to vulnerable groups; 
• With the support of the European Union and its Member States, approximately 111 thousand anti-COVID vaccines were delivered to Moldova in order to ensure the immunization of the front-line workers;
• Romania announced a donation of 200,000 doses of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to Moldova aimed for the mass immunization of the population;
• Support provided to vulnerable groups as an anti-crisis measure as a result of the financing agreement for the COVID-19 Resilience Contract. 

Economic sector

Being aware of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the business environment, the EU is providing financial assistance for the recovery of the sector.

• Over €120 million euros offered through the Eastern Partnership. The funds will provide the necessary support for the development of small and medium-sized enterprises in rural areas, create social services for vulnerable people and help people with special needs to start their own business; it will empower citizens to participate in local decision-making and support the economic recovery of local communities;
• Grants worth €10 million euros, offered within the Macro-Financial Business Assistance package;
• Advantageous loans of €20 million provided under the same program;
• The Republic of Moldova now has access to a new emergency MFA program worth  €100 million in EU loans on extremely favorable terms to cover the immediate and urgent financing needs caused by the COVID-19 crisis. Its first tranche, worth € 50 million, has already been paid in November 2020;
• European funds designed to boost the economic activity of the Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises.

In addition, the EU is providing advice and assistance on ongoing EU projects and other facilities that strengthen the support provided by the EU and Team Europe.