Commission approves technical assistance to Moldova

The European Commission has adopted the national Tacis Action Programme for Moldova. The priorities of the programme have been developed in close co-operation with the Moldovan Government and there is a strong emphasis on rule of law and human rights (in close collaboration with the Council of Europe), economic and social development and health issues. With a total budget of € 25 million, this programme makes the European Commission one of the largest single donors in Moldova with a total contribution from 1991 to 2003 of € 238 million. The Tacis Action Programme is part of a total of € 50 million earmarked for Moldova in 2003, including: € 25 million for the National Tacis Programme, € 10 million for macroeconomic financial assistance, € 10 million under the food security programme and € 5 million from Tacis regional programmes.

The package, funded from the 2003 Tacis budget and valid for 2003-2004, focuses on three areas of co-operation: institutional, legal and administrative reform; support to the private sector and economic development and; support in addressing the social consequences of transition.

In the first area of co-operation, the Commission will assist Moldova in implementation of the Partnership and Co-operation Agreement, implementation of Moldova's WTO membership and the fight against crime. The Commission will also work closely with the Council of Europe on a project to promote respect for Human Rights including civil rights in Moldova.

Activities in the area of support to the private sector and assistance for economic development will focus on export promotion, development of Small and Medium sized Enterprises (SMEs) in the rural sector, and the development of regional development agencies.

As regards the social consequences of transition, support will focus on the development of support mechanisms for poor families and children and on health management.

In addition, support will be provided through a number of small project programmes: the Institution-Building Partnership Programme (through both components: the Key Public Institutions and the Civil Society and other Local Initiatives), Statistics, Policy Advice and Tempus.


Background

The EU's relations with the countries of Eastern Europe and Central Asia (EECA) were underpinned in 1991 through the TACIS programme of technical assistance. The Programme supports the process of transition to market economies and democratic societies in the EECA countries, and in the first eight years of its operation, committed a total of € 4,226 million of funding to projects.

Over the 1991-2003 period, the Tacis programme contributed to the Commission funding to Moldova with nearly € 100 million from the national, programme, and an estimated additional 32 m from multi-country and inter-state programmes.

Tacis for Moldova is implemented through a number of instruments. The main one is the National Action Programme, prepared once every two years. The Small Projects Programme (SPP), originally an independent part of Tacis and now part of the National Action Programme, includes actions in the area of policy advice, NGOs, managers' training, customs, statistics co-operation, and participation in TEMPUS. Moldova benefits also from the Tacis Regional Programme, encompassing INOGATE (on energy) and other Regional programmes (environment, transport and infrastructure and justice and home affairs). Finally, the Cross-Border Co-operation Programme (CBC) aims to strengthen border management and to activate regional co-operation between the eastern borders of Central European Accession Countries and the western borders of Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and Moldova.

The Commission is also providing assistance to Moldova in the form of macro-economic assistance and through the Food Security Programme.


For further information, please see:

http://europa.eu.int/comm/external_relations/moldova/intro/index.htm

http://europa.eu.int/comm/dgs/europeaid/index_en.htm

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