EU4Environment: promoting green and sustainable economic development in the Republic of Moldova

Sustainable development and the promotion of the green economy are development priorities for the Republic of Moldova. These are reflected in the main policy documents of the Government, in particular in the National Development Strategy Moldova 2030, the Energy Strategy 2030, the SME Sector Development Strategy for 2012-2020, the Roadmap for Improving Competitiveness, the Agriculture Development Strategy 2013-2020, the Environment Strategy 2014-2023, the Programme for Promoting the Green Economy in the Republic of Moldova for 2018-2020. They are also part of Moldova’s commitments to the country’s development partners abroad. The Association Agreement with the European Union is expressly aimed at ensuring sustainable development and promoting the green economy in our country. By signing the Agreement, the Republic of Moldova undertakes to harmonise national legislation with European legislation and to ensure the integration of environmental protection, rational use of resources and energy efficiency, eco-labelling, eco-innovations in all sectors of the national economy and social life.

In the light of the National Development Strategy „Moldova 2030”, the national targets of the Sustainable Development Goals and the 2030 Agenda, the priorities of the implementation of the Association Agreement, the new opportunities of the Eastern Partnership beyond 2020 and the European Green Deal – promoting sustainable economic growth would mark a new step in the social-economic development of the country and the creation of green jobs. Thus, Moldova’s development vision for the next decade is based on the following basic pillars:

• sustainable and inclusive economy;
• robust human and social capital;
• honest and efficient institutions;
• healthy environment.

The Ministry of Economy and Infrastructure contributes to the integration of green economy measures and principles into policy documents and production processes in the branches of the national economy, which helps to improve economic performance, environmental quality and living standards of the Moldovan population. This mode of economic development will increase the decoupling of economic growth from environmental degradation, attract green investment and promote the country’s regional image.

Promoting the green economy is a cross-cutting area, and effective collaboration between the institutions involved at national and local level contributes to achieving the given objectives by aligning them with the priorities of the European Green Deal, the new European Industrial Strategy, the Circular Economy Action Plan, the Farm to Fork (consumer) Strategy and the new EU Biodiversity Conservation Strategy 2030.

To this end, the Ministry of Economy and Infrastructure has launched the process of developing a single strategic planning document for sustainable economic development – a single public policy document covering the long-term economic bloc. The document is to be linked to the development vision and priorities by area, linked to the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals and green economic development priorities in all economic sectors.

In order to achieve the objectives of promoting green economy principles, environmental management at enterprises, eco products and services, the Ministry of Economic Development and Digitalization and ODIMM developed the SME Greening Programme (approved by the Government in November 2019) and the launch of its practical implementation started in the first half of 2020 and was presented at the SME Greening Programme Launch Conference on 3 June 2020. The National SME Greening Programme provides information support, advice and mentoring, training and environmental education. At the same time, the programme will focus on research and development, promotion, exchange of best practices at national and European level in the field of application of green economy and circular economy principles. A special section is reserved for non-reimbursable financing of actions to green SMEs and to develop capacities to access and expand in international markets.

In the process of promoting the green economy, the Ministry of Economic Development and Digitalization has joined international programmes and platforms in the field of green economy, such as the EU Programme „Greening economies in the Eastern Neighbourhood Countries”, EaP GREEN Programme (2014-2017), Green Industry Platform, UNIDO Country Programme (launched in 2019), participates in the GREEN Action Programme, OECD and, in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture, Regional Development and Environment, is coordinator and beneficiary of the EU Action – EU4Environment – European Union for the Environment (2019-2022).

European Union action EU4Environment aims to assist the six partner countries, including the Republic of Moldova, in ensuring the sustainable use of natural capital, improving the quality of the environment and the well-being of the population by supporting environmentally oriented actions, demonstrating and opening up opportunities for green growth, and establishing mechanisms for better management of environmental risks and impacts.

This programme is funded by the European Commission to the tune of €19.5 million. There are five international organisations that will work together to provide full support in achieving the programme’s objective: the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UN ECE), the United Nations Environment Programme (EU Environment Programme), the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) and the World Bank.

In addition to general coordination and support at the level of public policy and inter-ministerial dialogue in the field of green economy, the Ministry of Economic Development and Digitalization will benefit from EU4Environment support in the areas of greening of industrial parks and free economic zones, promotion of resource efficiency and cleaner production, greening and eco-innovation among SMEs, eco-labelling, sustainable transport, subsidies and taxes, green growth indicators, etc.

Also, in order to establish the inter-ministerial mechanism for coordinating the implementation of the provisions on the promotion of sustainable development and green economy, in 2015 was created the Inter-Ministerial Working Group for the promotion of sustainable development and green economy (led by MEI and MADRM), which in 2015-2017 coordinated the implementation of the EaP GREEN Programme, and since 2019 has also taken over the function of coordination and National Implementation Committee for EU4Environment in Moldova.

Information materials and documents:

Useful links:

European Green Deal, new European Industrial Strategy, Action Plan on the Circular Economy
https://ec.europa.eu/info/strategy/priorities-2019-2024/european-green-deal_en

Green Growth Indicators, 2017
http://www.eap-green.org/resources/Raport_RO.pdf

Energy Subsidy Reform in the Republic of Moldova (EaP GEEEN, OECD study)
http://www.oecd.org/environment/energy-subsidy-reform-schemes-in-the-republic-of-moldova-9789264292833-en.htm

Promoting clean public transport and green investment in Moldova (OECD)
http://www.oecd.org/countries/moldova/promoting-clean-urban-public-transportation-and-green-investment-in-moldova-31925aae-en.htm

Read more about EU4Environment:

https://www.oecd.org/site/eu4environment/
https://www.facebook.com/EU4EnvironmentMoldova/

For more details and information contact:

Tatiana Pîrgari, Senior Consultant, Economic Policy and Business Environment Directorate, EU4Environment National Technical Contact Point:
E-mail: tatiana.pirgari@mei.gov.md, tel. 0 22 250 652

Andrei Isac, EU4Environment national coordinator:
E-mail: andrei.isac.environment@gmail.com, tel. 022 20 45 29, 069130 366