European Commission to set support priority areas for Moldova in perspective

Chisinau, 29 November /MOLDPRES/ – A European Commission expert mission pays a working visit to Chisinau on 28 November – 2 December to identify support priority areas for Moldova in the next three years. Related to it, today took place a meeting of the European experts and Construction and Regional Development Minister (MDRC) Basil Bitca and Environment Minister Valeriu Munteanu.

The press service of MDRC stated that the discussion main topics focused on the support to improve capacities in promoting reforms in regional development policies and environment, identifying priority projects of regional participants to facilitate presence in EU funded programs.

"We are grateful for EU constant assistance to Moldova. We assumed a set of responsibilities by including a chapter on regional development in the Moldova – EU Association Agreement – Chapter 20 "Regional development, and regional cooperation across borders." I participated at planning exercise of EU assistance in Moldova for Annual Action Plan 2016 and we submitted to the European Commission, the list of energy efficiency, water supply and sanitation infrastructural projects. We hope that the list of priorities for 2017 – 2020 will be reviewed and include some areas of the recently approved National Strategy for Regional Development," said Vasile Bitca.

The European Commission experts said that the visit has intended to help Moldova at efficient implementation of proposed reforms for 2017 – 2020, their role being the review of the annual plan and including new areas of providing EU support to Moldova.

"During this week we have meetings with several ministers, international organizations and representatives of EU Member States in Moldova and representatives of civil society. We want to realize what priority support areas you need for EU hold. We analyze the regional dimension of assistance option, too. However, "we will propose piloting of regional initiatives. We suggest that impact to be more visible and effective for society", said Adriano Martins, head of the European External Action Service.

At his turn, Environment Minister Valeriu Munteanu appreciated the European support importance for solving environmental problems and noted the reform process the institution was passing through in terms of legislation, strategic documents that were under development.

"Currently, the Ministry of Environment abound into documents to be adopted on climate change in the context of our country's commitment under the Agreement in Paris. In this area we need the EU support and to solve other environmental problems, which for a long time have not been discussed and not included in the decision makers’ agenda. There are many activities that we have to accomplish and abundance is complicated for the existing institutional framework. Although this task is difficult and requires the involvement of many institutions, it is an achievable one," said the Environment Minister Valeriu Munteanu.

(Reporter A. Mardare, editor M. Jantovan)