EU project on technical assistance completed in Moldova

Chisinau, 1 April /MOLDPRES/- The European Union has provided 40 million euros for enhancing energy efficiency and modernising the Moldovan energy system over the last three years. Moldova has recorded one of the highest rates of absorption of these funds - 90 per cent. The statement was made within an event of concluding technical assistance of the EU-funded project.

The project on technical assistance for implementing the Programme Supporting Sectoral Policies - Assistance for energy sector reform, was concluded on 31 March.

"Supported by EU, Moldova has met almost all political goals agreed within the programme and managed to receive 90 per cent of the maximally available funds; this is one of the highest rates of absorption of the budgets allocated by EU within the similar programmes at international level", Deputy Economics Minister Tudor Copaci said.

Copaci also said that, during three years, security of energy supply increased, energy efficiency and living conditions for people had improved. Also, renewable energy and co-generation have been promoted.

"The challenge for future is the enforcement of these reforms. The experience of the EU countries shows that this is a very difficult, demanding and time consuming task. This is a joint effort, where everybody has his/her own responsibilities. Firstly, the country's political leadership must prove real political will", the leader of project's team,  George Georgocostas said. He added that the main goal of specialists from the Greek Exergia Consortium, who advised the Moldovan side, was to set legal basis necessary for reforms in the energy sector, as well as to develop institutions, such as the Energy Efficiency Fund.

Given the good results in achieving the project's goals, the European Commission extended the financing of the concerned programme. EC earmarked for 2015 another 10 million euros exclusively for building the Ungheni-Chisinau gas pipeline, the head of the Economics Ministry's Security and Energy Efficiency Department, Mariana Botezatu, said.

(Reporter V.Bercu, editor L. Alcază)