One year of war in Ukraine. How did the Republic of Moldova deal with the challenges generated by Russia’s invasion of the neighboring country?

From the first day of Russia’s unjustified military aggression in Ukraine, the European Union built a common front along with its partners to support the Republic of Moldova. The citizens of Moldova are still facing the repercussions of a war only tens of km away, hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian refugees at its borders and a series of unprecedented challenges. An overview of the last year looks like:

• Around 750.000 refugees crossed the Republic of Moldova’s borders, 100.000 of which remained in the country;
• €59 million, the total value of the humanitarian support provided by Team Europe for managing the refugee flow;
• €150 million granted by the EU to mitigate the energy crisis generated by the war, which helped approximately 600.000 citizens to benefit from compensation for energy consumption;
• €150 million financial assistance provided via loans and grants;
• €112 million offered for economic resilience and business support;
• Around €400 million for strategic areas such as border management, investments in energy efficiency projects, modernisation of the defence sector, cyber security, etc. between October 2021 – December 2022.

More united than ever 

The European Union and its member states, under the Team Europe initiative, have mobilised their resources to deliver a prompt response to the pressing needs of the Republic of Moldova and the refugees from Ukraine. More than €59 million is the total value of the humanitarian aid allocated by the EU and its member states to manage the refugee flow. The assistance included financial support and essential goods for the citizens of Ukraine who arrived in the Republic of Moldova looking for safety.

Thousands of tents, technical and medical equipment, generators, hygiene products and other essential goods have been provided through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism. Some of them are stored in a warehouse set up with EU support for a new refugee flow. Find out more information about the humanitarian aid provided by Team Europe.

Support for border management 

More than half a million refugees fleeing Ukraine and the intensification of freight traffic from the neighboring country have put pressure on the border system. The European Union provided financial support and expertise worth €30 million to supervise and facilitate the flow at Moldova’s borders. The European Union and Republic of Moldova signed an agreement on border management cooperation, which allowed the mobilisation of the experts of the European Border Police and Coast Guard (Frontex) on the territory of the Republic of Moldova, border surveillance, and assistance in gathering and sharing information.

Russia’s military aggression has severely affected the trade routes and the freight transport. In order to optimise certain processes and alleviate the burden of the flow, EUBAM experts got involved in monitoring the entry and exit points, along with the employees of the Customs Service of the Republic of Moldova and those of the Ukrainian Customs Service, to ensure the continuity of the transport of agricultural goods along the Moldovan-Ukrainian border.

Increased security for the EU and its neighbourhood

In order to reduce security threats able to put in jeopardy the European Union and its neighboring countries, the European authorities provided over €47 million for the modernisation of the defense sector of the Republic of Moldova. In addition, Moldova hosted a series of meetings of the EU Hub for internal security and border management. European officials, along with the representatives of the Moldovan authorities, work on identifying solutions in order to strengthen cooperation and security in the region. The EU and Moldova will intensify the exchange of information in the field of financial investigations. Moldova will have access to EU tools and networks such as: Europol, EUROJUST, FRONTEX, CEPOL, AMON, etc.

EU action to address the energy crisis

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and using the energy resources as a political weapon have generated an unprecedented crisis. As a result, the prices for energy consumption increased, the citizens of the Republic of Moldova entering into payment difficulties. Moldova received budget support valuing €150 million for managing the energy crisis and supporting vulnerable groups. More than 600 thousand citizens benefited from compensation for energy consumption. More funds are being invested in energy efficiency projects and renewable resources. Find out more about the EU contribution to the energy security of the Republic of Moldova.

EU enhances food security 

The European Union has undertaken a series of complex measures able to mitigate the consequences felt in strategic areas affected by the war, including food security. The European Union signed road transport agreements with Ukraine and Moldova that facilitated the traffic of goods, providing an immediate solution for the economies of both countries. The European Commission has proposed connecting the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine to the trans-European transport network (TEN-T). The initiative includes expanding four transport corridors to Moldova and Ukraine. The decision, aiming to contribute to the exchange of goods with the EU, will contribute to food security in the region, but also to the rehabilitation of Ukraine’s transport infrastructure.

The European Union has increased export quotas for seven categories of Moldovan agricultural products to support local farmers and exporters who have lost access to traditional markets due to the war. The regulation more than doubles – for the duration of one year – the amount of these products that can be imported tariff-free from Moldova into the EU.  

Financial support for the economic rehabilitation of Moldova

In a period strongly affected by crises and challenges, the EU and its member states continued to invest in the economic rehabilitation of Moldova. More than €150 million financial assistance was offered via loans and grants. Another 112 million euros were allocated for the initiatives aimed at increasing economic resilience and contributing to business development. Recently, the European Union announced a new package of macro-financial assistance worth €145 million.

Stay tuned for more information on EU assistance to the Republic of Moldova.