EU – Moldova: cooperation news, April - May 2022

EUROPE DAY2022 NEWSLETTER OF THE DELEGATION OF THE EUROPEAN UNION TO THE REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA

EU – MOLDOVA: COOPERATION NEWS APRIL - MAY 2022

TABLE OF CONTENT

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MOBILITY AND PEOPLE

“Europe Day 2022: Solidarity for Peace” marked in the Republic of Moldova

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European Village in Chișinău, promoter of culture, values and assistance of the European Union

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European Village in Edineţ – celebrates Europe Day 2022 in the northern region of the country

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European Film and Culture Festival 2022 – discovering the cultural heritage of the EU Member States

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European Year of Youth 2022 – marked in the Republic of Moldova

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The Republic of Moldova marks 8 years of visa liberalisation regime

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EU-Moldova Stronger Together: refugees finding peace and humanity in the Republic of Moldova

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Strengthening Gender Action in Cahul and Ungheni districts with EU support

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Strengthening institutional accountability and investigative journalism in Moldova with EU support

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Over 100 children benefitted from specialised services provided by Early Intervention Centre “Lăstărel” from Criuleni

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EU continues to provide immediate support to Moldovan communities to help refugees from Ukraine

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European Union supports civil society in the Republic of Moldova to assist Ukrainian refugees

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EU4Youth: School Garden - opportunities for young people to learn and to develop skills in agricultural entrepreneurship

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Gender stereotypes and discrimination in advertising – tackled with EU support Digital and physical security training for Moldovan journalists, organised with EU support

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Cluster meeting on dual education developed within Erasmus+ projects at universities from the Republic of Moldova

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Opportunities for young people: internships in state institutions, thanks to the pilot programme launched by the European Union in partnership with the Government of the Republic of Moldova

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The Triumphal Arch and the Soroca Fortress, illuminated in the colours of the European Union flag on the occasion of Europe Day 2022

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Visitors of the European Village in Chișinău learned about the concept of human rights defenders

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Europe Day 2022: results of two surveys on basic economic - financial education in Moldova

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Social services, developed with the support of the European Union, presented during Europe Day 2022

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EU funded project “Strengthening supervision, corporate governance and risk management in the financial sector” informed the visitors of the European Village in Chisinau about project’s main activities

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EU4Culture conference: two cities from the Republic of Moldova joined “EU4Culture Cities Network”

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Civil society representatives from Cahul and Ungheni regions reunited in premiere in a joint Fair of Civic Initiatives, organised with EU support

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Civil Society Organisations Fair – Together we make our voice heard!

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Dialogue based on trust - the key to success for a sustainable partnership between authorities and and Civil Society Organisations

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EU-funded project JOBOTECA - a space for innovative ideas and personal development for students and teachers from 25 schools in the Republic of Moldova

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The European Union is providing assistance for the establishment of the Advisory Boards of Children (ABC) in four districts of the country

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European Union supports the strengthening of the system of services addressed to children and families at local level

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INSTITUTIONS AND GOVERNMENT

EU High Level Advisers: National Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Risk Assessment Report, presented publicly

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Women4Security: new partnerships for peace, with active involvement of women in the Republic of Moldova

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Training Course on Costing of Public Investment Projects organised with the EU support

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Implementation of the Republic of Moldova – EU Authorized Economic Operators Mutual Recognition programme, getting closer

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EU supports the Republic of Moldova in the European integration process

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Ministry of Environment staff learned EU best practices in waste management and ‘Waste to energy’ concept during a study visit to Lithuania

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Debates on the amendment of the national electoral law

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EU supports the development of the Moldovan National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI)

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EU further supports the Agriculture, Rural Development and Food Safety in the Republic of Moldova

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ECONOMY AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

European Union supports entrepreneurs from both banks of the Nistru river

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EU4Youth: social entrepreneurship, close to the needs of refugees from Ukraine

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EU4Youth: „We can solve the problems of our community!” – young people from Ștefan Vodă about social entrepreneurship

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EU4Youth: discussion club with youth from Călărași on the benefits of developing social businesses in Moldova

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230 people with special needs will be assisted to find a job with EU project support

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With EU support, a modern soil testing laboratory will operate in Ungheni

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The National LEADER Programme enables Local Action Groups to access National Funds for Rural Development

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Cahul Business Summit, organised with the EU and Team Europe support: financing opportunities, digital transformation and tourism potential in the southern region

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Cahul Business Summit addresses the economic and innovative potential of the southern region of the Republic of Moldova

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The EIB financed Fruit Garden of Moldova credit line contributes to the capacity building of the Republic of Moldova’s agricultural sector

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ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT

Earth Day 2022: greening the industrial sector with EU4Environment Green Economy support

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People from Ștefan Vodă are better prepared for protecting their regional environment

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EU4Climate: Moldova has one of the highest greenhouse gas intensities in Europe, reported to GDP

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Europe Day 2022 in Moldova – EU4Environment Green Economy: Solidarity for peace and a cleaner environment

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MAKE IT REAL! The Republic of Moldova for the fourth time joined the annual EU Green Week!

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EU4Environment Green Economy marked the Nistru Day 2022

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RESILIENT DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION

Human Rights Defenders in Moldova learned how to strengthen their digital 115 security with EU support EU4Digital: a key step to streamlining cross-border freight - discussing the 117 results of eCustoms pilot between Moldova and Romania An IT academy with the financial support of the European Union and Team 119 Europe has been opened in Cahul EU4Moldova: Startup City Cahul - more opportunities for women to get a job 120 in IT field EU4Moldova: Startup City Cahul - digital skills for community development

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Nine high schools in the Southern region of the Republic of Moldova have opened 124 their digital laboratories with the support of EU4Moldova: Startup City Cahul EUTech Display Day – show of multifunctional robots, aerodynamic racing 127 cars and programming workshops EU-funded project „Edineţ – insights into tomorrow cities” provides modern 130 equipment for green areas management and biomass collection to Edineţ municipality EdTech Moldova Forum – a platform that has connected global leaders and 132 local community to technology The concept of Digital School – presented in the EdTech Forum Moldova, 134 organised with the EU and Team Europe support

MOBILITY AND PEOPLE “Europe Day 2022: Solidarity for Peace” marked in the Republic of Moldova The Delegation of the European Union to the Republic of Moldova, together with the Embassies of the EU Member States, marked Europe Day 2022 with a number of cultural and educational events in several regions of the Republic of Moldova.

Under the overarching theme of SOLIDARITY FOR PEACE, the activities conducted throughout the month of May highlighted the culture and values of the European Union, as well as the assistance provided by the EU and its Member States, in the Team Europe spirit, for the benefit of the citizens of the Republic of Moldova.

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“Dear friends, Europe Day this year is marked in a context that has deeply saddened and troubled us. In Ukraine, a cruel and unjustified war is killing innocent people. Entire localities are wiped out by the ferocity of Russian military forces. Today, more than ever, the values that underpin the creation and work of the European Union – unity, solidarity, peace, the rule of law and respect for human rights, particularly the fundamental right to life – become indispensable. The war next door brings a personal duty for all of us to protect peace. Thus, I want to invite you to welcome peace into your homes: Solidarity for peace is the main message we would like to convey during the activities planned on the occasion of Europe Day.” said Jānis Mažeiks, Ambassador of the European Union to the Republic of Moldova.

The traditional European Village opened its gates again, this time in physical format, in Chișinău and Edineț. In the capital city, the European Village was organised on 14 May, in the Grand National Assembly Square, followed in the evening by an exceptional concert by Moldovan and Ukrainian artists.

On 21 May, the inhabitants of Edineț were invited to a regional European Village event, which took place in the main square in Edineț, followed by a concert by local artists and Moldovan National Youth Orchestra. European cuisine was part of both European Villages which also hosted a series of cultural and interactive activities for everyone, including children.

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Additional events to mark Europe Day 2022 were organised in Soroca, Ștefan Vodă, Ungheni, Bălți etc. in cooperation with European Investment Bank, local authorities and the network of Euro-clubs and European Information Centres throughout the country.

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The traditional European Film and Culture Festival, included 23 events and screenings, having been broadcasted on TV and on the online platform https://eu4moldova.eu/europe-day-2022, during the second half of May.

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European Village in Chișinău, promoter of culture, values and assistance of the European Union On 14 May 2022, the Delegation of the European Union in the Republic of Moldova, together with the EU Member States Embassies, organised the European Village in Chișinău, heart of the capital city – a large-scale one-day event – promoting the culture and values of the European Union, as well as highlighting the assistance provided by the European Union and its Member States, under Team Europe approach, to the Republic of Moldova for the benefit of the citizens across the country.

The event was organised in the context of the Europe Day 2022, under the overarching theme of SOLIDARITY FOR PEACE.

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The traditional European Village opened its gates again in 2022, in physical format, in Chișinău, in the Grand National Assembly Square. The one-day event was launched through a press conference with the participation of the Ambassador of the European Union, Jānis Mažeiks, Ambassadors of the EU Member States and mass media from the Republic of Moldova.

Link to live broadcasting of the Launch Media Event within the European Village in Chisinau.

The Village exhibited the assistance of the European Union thought the EU funded projects implemented in the Republic of Moldova, as well as through concrete beneficiaries, who came to display their products and communicate about the tangible results, with the support of the European Union. The exhibition took place on the alley symbolically entitled “EUMoldova: Stronger Together”. Moreover,

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the EU Member States Embassies also displayed the support provided by their countries to the Republic of Moldova and their traditional European cuisine, on the alley entitled “Team Europe”. Overall, 27 EU funded projects show-cased their results to the public at large, and 15 EU Member States Embassies participated in the fair by organising thematic quizzes, ruffles and distributing visibility materials.

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In addition, the European Village in Chisinau comprised activities organised in the Debates Pavilion for the visitors of the fair, including a thematic debate “Partnerships for the development of social services” organised by Friedrich Ebert Stiftung Moldova and Institutum Virtutes Civilis (“Partnerships 4 Women Leadership and Good Governance” project).

Furthermore, the Debates Pavilion hosted a workshop for youth, titled “Ingredients for a successful career”, comprised of two presentations for your, particularly the Vocational Education and Training (VET) opportunities in the Republic of Moldova, led by “Support to Vocational Education and Training in the Field of Green Economy Project”, and a session on study

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opportunities for youth in the EU, session led by the Erasmus EU-funded project.

Moreover, youth took part in an intellectual game dedicated to Europe Day, titled “EU means: Peace. Unity. Solidarity”. The game was organised to celebrate the European Year of Youth, marked throughout 2022. The intellectual game was broadcasted live, as well.

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Similarly, the Children’s Corner, gathered numerous creative and entertaining activities for children, organised by EU funded projects’ teams.

The visitor of the European Village in Chisinau also attended the NGO fair, where more than 30 NGOs, supported by the EU, show-cased and presented the social services provided by them in various regions of the county.

Throughout the day, the visitors observed the equipment and vehicles purchased for firefighters and the national emergency service with EU support, gathered under a large exhibition, where children and adults took part in first aid training and tested some of the equipment, under the supervision of the staff of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

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All events, part of the European Village in Chisinau, were attended by the Ambassador of the European Union, Jānis Mažeiks, Ambassadors of the EU Member States, and the Prime Minister of the Republic of Moldova Natalia Gavrilița, along with other state officials.

The European Village in Chisinau was followed, in the evening, by an exceptional concert “Solidarity for Peace” by Moldovan artists and a special guest from Ukraine, the rock band “Bez Obmejeny/ Без Обмежень”.

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Closer to the end of the concert, the Arch of Triumph, located in the heart of Chișinău, was illuminated in the colours of the flag of the European Union.

The concert “Europe Day 2022: Solidarity for Peace” was broadcasted live on EU Delegation social media platforms.

The European Village culminated with the live broadcasting of the grand finale of EUROVISION International Song Contest 2022, where the representatives of the Republic of Moldova – Zdob and Zdub, accompanied by Advahov Brothers performed the song “Trenulețul” and finished the 7th with 253 points.

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European Village in Edineţ – celebrates Europe Day 2022 in the northern region of the country On 21 May 2022, the Delegation of the European Union in the Republic of Moldova, together with the EU Member States Embassies, organised the European Village in Edineț – the largest regional event organised on the occasion of Europe Day 2022 in the northern region of the Republic of Moldova – promoting the culture and values of the European Union, as well as

highlighting the assistance provided by the European Union and its Member States, under Team Europe approach, for the benefit of the citizens across the north region and in Edineț Municipality, in particular. The event was organised in the context of the Europe Day 2022, under the overarching theme of SOLIDARITY FOR PEACE.

On 21 May 2022, the European Village opened its gates in Edineț, in the main Independence Square. The one-day event was launched by the Ambassador of the European Union, Jānis Mažeiks, the Director of the North Regional Development Agency and the Mayor of Edineț Municipality, in the company of the national and regional mass media from the Republic of Moldova and local citizens.

The European Village in Edineț show-cased the assistance of the European Union thought the local EU funded projects implemented in the Edineț Municipality and regional EU funded projects, rolled out in the north region of the country. The Village hosted beneficiaries of EU assistance from the north of the country, who came to present their products and communicate about the tangible results, with the support of the European Union.

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Throughout the day, the European Village in Edineț comprised numerous activities organised for children and youth.

The fair in Edineț, displayed exhibitions of equipment and vehicles purchased for the Border Police and for Edineț Municipality with EU support, etc

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The life in the Village was vivid thanks to the performance of local musicians, singers and dancers, who performed for the visitors.

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The European Village in Edineț was visited by the Ambassador of the European Union, Jānis Mažeiks, the President of the Republic of Moldova Maia Sandu, EU Member States representatives, and local authorities.

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In the evening, the visitors of the European Village in Edineț enjoyed a concert performed by Moldovan singers the National Moldovan Youth Orchestra, broadcasted live online on the social media of the EU Delegation.

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European Film and Culture Festival 2022 – discovering the cultural heritage of the EU Member States

The European Film and Culture Festival is one of the highlights of the Europe Day events, organised yearly, as an initiative to promote a diversity and range of European films, concerts, festivals and other cultural events in the Republic of Moldova. The goal of this initiative is to increase the public’s knowledge and interest in European audio-visual works, including the audio-visual and cinematographic film heritage.

In 2022, the European Film and Culture Festival took place in the second half of May, and show-cased content provided by EU Member States Embassies and affiliated cultural institutes.

The Festival included 23 events, covering screening and broadcasting of films, concerts, art exhibitions and cultural events on TV, online and in several locations throughout the country. In addition, an event with a film director from Czech Republic was held.

The European Film and Culture Festival 2022 attracted high interest from the public, with over 200,000 views online and on TV.

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European Year of Youth 2022 – marked in the Republic of Moldova

In order to mark the European Year of Youth 2022, the Delegation of the European Union to the Republic of Moldova launched the communication campaign “European Year of Youth 2022”. A high-level event was organised on this occasion at the State University of Moldova on 20 April 2022. The event brought together young people and high representatives of EU Delegation, EU Member States

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Ambassadors and civil society members that marked together the start of the European Year of Youth in the Republic of Moldova. During the event, the representatives of the Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps programmes have highlighted different education, employment and training opportunities for young women and men offered through EU assistance to Moldova.

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A fair of EU assistance projects and programmes addressed to young people in Moldova was organised at the University where the visitors had the opportunity to exchange and learn more information about the available opportunities for youth offered through EU assistance to Moldova. The information on education programmes (including YEAs who benefited from Erasmus), support for young entrepreneurs and startups, trainings, social inclusion support for youth through EU funded initiatives were presented within the thematic exhibition.

The official event was opened by the rector of Moldova State University, Igor Șarov, with a welcome speech where he expressed his gratitude to the European Union for the opportunities offered to Moldovan students.

EU Ambassador, Jānis Mažeiks, talked about the EU assistance addressing young people in the Republic of Moldova under various project/ programmes and initiatives. Several EU MS Ambassadors, including Romania, Sweden, Austria, Germany and Latvia have presented the bilateral cooperation creating opportunities to youth in the Republic of Moldova. In the second part of the event, Young European Ambassadors had a presentation about the importance of communication and civic engagement of youth for sustainable development and how the EU is helping to achieve it. The event culminated with an interactive session organised by the YEAs, a quiz on Kahoot platform about opportunities &programmes for youth funded by EU and EU MS.

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The Republic of Moldova marks 8 years of visa liberalisation regime

Republic of Moldova celebrates its eighth anniversary of a visa-free travel regime to the EU Member States and member countries of the Schengen area. From April 2014, Moldovan citizens with biometric passports benefit from the visa free travel regime to the EU and Schengen area.

In the last eight years, over 2.4 million citizens of the Republic of Moldova travelled 9 million times to the European Union. In this context, from 28 April to 8 May 2022, a dedicated information campaign was conducted, highlighting the advantages of visa-free regime for Moldovans in terms of facilitating people-to-people contacts and contributing to further strengthening of business, social and cultural ties between the Republic of Moldova and the Schengen countries.

“It is a very practical opportunity for people to visit relatives, to study, to bring new experiences back home. But I think it is also about changing the perception of themselves. I remember my first trips without the visa… when all of the sudden you are welcomed without additional conditions,” stated Jānis Mažeiks, Ambassador of the European Union to the Republic of Moldova.

The Campaign presented facts and figures such as the annual number of beneficiaries who travelled to the Schengen area. Also, a series of 8 video testimonials were distributed via media and social media of ordinary people who enjoyed the benefits of visa-free regime.

In 2014, the visa-free travel agreement was reached between the Moldovan and the EU authorities offering the citizens of Moldova the opportunity of easier and simpler traveling, as well as getting closer to the EU and Member States values.

The videos developed for the campaign “8 years of visa liberalisation” are available on the EU Delegation YouTube channel.

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EU-Moldova Stronger Together: refugees finding peace and humanity in the Republic of Moldova

Refugees wait to board a bus at the Palanca-Maiaki-Udobnoe border, Republic of Moldova. Photo: UN Women Moldova/Aurel Obreja

The war woke them up on the morning of 24 February 2022, changing their lives forever. Some people were frightened, locked themselves in their apartments, while others gathered a few things and fled the shelling and sirens following the bombings. They ran towards nowhere – to some unknown place that seamed better than the terror surrounding their city and clouding their thoughts. Within a few weeks, almost 4 million Ukrainians had become refugees, many of them finding peace and safety in the Republic of Moldova.

More than 10 million people are already thought to have fled their homes in Ukraine because of the war, according to the United Nations.

Today, hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians

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have fled over the border into Moldova. Most are mothers with children, while their husbands and fathers stayed to fight.

Through its EU-funded EVA project to promote gender equality in Cahul and Ungheni districts, in partnership with UNICEF, UN Women is working to ensure that humanitarian efforts consider the differentiated impact of the war on women and men, including those from the most vulnerable groups.

From the first day when the refugees arrived in town, a Crisis Unit was created by local public authorities to manage the situation, and a group of volunteers within this unit was mobilized and started working in shifts.

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“We did not want to leave our home” Vita came to Moldova two weeks ago. Two weeks have passed since she last saw her home, her relatives, her husband. She talks to her husband online and these discussions give her a shred of hope that she and her children will soon return home to Odessa.

Vita, a refugee from Odessa, is washing clothes by hand at Dormitory of the University “Bogdan Petriceicu Hasdeu” in Cahul. Photo: UN Women Moldova

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“We didn’t want to leave our country. We didn’t want to leave even when they shelled our neighbourhood.

But we couldn’t stay there when the authorities warned us to take our children and leave because there were warnings of more powerful attacks by the Russians,” tells Vita.

She remembers how she dressed in warm clothes, as the frost was still biting; how she threw some documents in her bag and a few things for her children; and how they left for Moldova.

At the border, she hugged her husband and tried not to think that this could be the last time she sees him.

“We walked for 5 kilometres. Then, together with the volunteers, we reached the Unit in Cahul,” she says.

Her children do their classes online, then they all go for walks. Vita admits that she feels lost and a little strange when she is surrounded by silence: “Meanwhile, in my city for the past month, silence was replaced by the stringent sound of sirens warning us to go into hiding as quickly as possible.”

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Vita, a refugee from Odessa is accompanied by her son.

Photo: UN Women Moldova

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And although the volunteers and the organisations offer them everything they need, also entertaining her children in an effort to help them forget the nightmare going on in their city, she says: “my children still ask me when we will return home. I am following the bus schedule all the time, just waiting for my husband to tell me when things have calmed down. I want to go home, where I have my house, my family,” Vita smiles with a little sparkle of hope in her eyes.

Help and humanity They left their home, taking only their documents, a blanket and a few clothes for the children.

Their bags needed to be small and light, so as not to make the trip even more difficult. They left their beloved city, the places where they grew up and where they were happy.

Under the EVA project, 200 refugee families have received personal hygiene items in placement centres in Cahul and Ungheni districts. Also, a safe and friendly space for children and youth named Ludoteca has recently been established to provide information and psychosocial support for women and children refugees from Ukraine in Cahul. “We understand them, and we offer our support to these women in this difficult situation,” says Laura Grecu, EVA Project Manager.

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Olga, a refugee from Odessa, living at the Centre of temporary placement for refugees from Ukraine inUngheni Photo: UN Women Moldova

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“They pay attention to our needs, and they take care of us and our children. This is extremely important to us,” says Olga, who arrived from Odessa on 4 March. “I took our papers; I took my child, and we went into the unknown. We left in a hurry. Leaving the sounds of the explosions as far behind as possible was the most important thing for us.”

“I can finally sleep”

Diana, a refugee from Odessa.

Photo: UN Women Moldova/ Victor Galusca

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Diana, a 20-year-old refugee from Odessa, walks down the hallway of the temporary refugee placement centre in Cahul after arriving in Moldova two days ago. Immediately, she decides to get involved in helping other refugees and helps the volunteers sort the donated clothes.

“There were many bags full of clothes, and the two women sorting them couldn’t do it on their own. I couldn’t just stay aside,” explains Diana.

Diana, a refugee from Odessa has become a volunteer herself.

Photo: UN Women Moldova

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“Everything seemed so unreal. Then we heard it again and again,” she recalls. Her family decided to move to a house in the suburbs for a few weeks, but the explosions could be heard even there. “We were all so stressed out for an entire month. It was extremely difficult,” she remembers.

They decided to leave Ukraine when three shells flew over their house with a whistling sound.

They gathered a few things and hurried towards the border with Moldova, where volunteers met them and brought them to the placement centre.

“It is amazing how people opened their arms and helped us,” says Diana, who admits that after a long time she can finally sleep in peace, not being woken by the sound of shelling destroying the country she loves so much, the country she did not want to leave. “We want to be closer to home and we hope that soon we will be able to go back,” she says.

In Moldova, UN Women is working with partners to ensure that there is up-to-date data and analysis on the gender dynamics of the situation, including a gender assessment to capture the situation and needs of women refugees from Ukraine. UN Women is also supporting women’s civil society organisations that provide essential services for refugee women and girls.

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Strengthening Gender Action in Cahul and Ungheni districts with EU support The EU project ‘Strengthened Gender Action in Cahul and Ungheni districts’ was launched on 13 April 2022 with the support of UN Women and local implementing partner ‘Artemida’ NGO from Drochia, a local project aimed at assisting and counselling service for victims of gender-based violence and domestic violence (assistance for victims of violence) in Cahul and Ungheni districts.

The project will provide assistance and counselling service by the end of December 2022. During the launch of the project, ‘Artemida’ NGO signed two partnerships agreements with local NGOs ‘Clubul Vreau Sa Stiu’ NGO from Cahul and ‘Viitorul Incepe Azi’ NGO from Ungheni, to develop a specialised response system on preventing and combating gender-based violence and domestic violence in Cahul and Ungheni districts, while local authorities will be consulted and involved in the process.

At the same time, the project will provide

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capacity building for the teams of these two organisations to develop specific skills and abilities for working with victims of genderbased violence and domestic violence.

As a result of the assistance, about 50 women and girls (25 women and girls from Cahul district and 25 women and girls from Ungheni district) will benefit from specialised psychological and legal counselling services, psychosocial counselling, access to information during crises and legal services for girls and women affected by genderbased violence.

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According to a recent survey ‘Assessment of the functionality of multidisciplinary teams in Cahul and Ungheni’, at the local level, women survivors of domestic violence are not always provided with needed services due to the shortage of service providers for preventing gender-based violence and domestic violence at the local level (one centre in Ungheni and two centres in Cahul). Thus, services provided by the existing centres in Ungheni and Cahul, such as social aid, psychological support, legal

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counselling/aid, accommodation, medical care, are often needed by women survivors of violence, but they are not always delivered due to insufficient capacity of these centres to help victims of violence.

The EVA Project – ‘Strengthened Gender Action in Cahul and Ungheni districts’ is funded by the European Union and implemented by UN Women in partnership with UNICEF Moldova.

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Strengthening institutional accountability and investigative journalism in Moldova with EU support

In October 2021, the investigative journalism organisation “Proiectul Media – CU SENS” was granted the status of ‘Personal Data Operator’ by the Centre for Personal Data Protection: something, which not many Moldovan media are entitled to. The status is important as it allows the newsroom to have direct access to multiple databases, and hence, to key information that they can use in their investigations and reporting. This was made possible thanks to the core support they received under the “COVID-19: Civil Society Resilience and Sustainability” project, financed by the European Union.

CU SENS is a media startup focusing on investigative journalism. Their fundraising strategy is based upon membership and,

by January 2020 they had already seen 100 ‘members’ sign up and were on a trajectory to continue growing steadily. However, when the pandemic came along, and the number of members began to decrease. By the time they applied for support under the COVID-19: Civil Society Resilience and Sustainability project their monthly income had fallen by 50% and they had to cut some of their planned activities. The support also enabled them to purchase the required technical equipment needed as a Personal Data Operator, for example, ensuring the physical

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and online security of all their documents to minimize the risk of cyber-attacks and theft of personal data.

Obtaining the status took multiple attempts and a great deal of money, energy, time and expertise, but the outcome is a very important achievement for Cu Sens as it increases their ability to monitor how public funds are spent, investigate alleged illegal activity and keep the government accountable.

Alongside this, the core support provided allowed them to buy accounting and videoediting software. They also produced six video investigations aimed at unveiling

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cases of corruption and mismanagement of public money. The videos gained almost 130,000 views on Facebook and YouTube, and around 5,000 visitors to their website.

“Collateral Interests” was among the most successful investigative materials reaching over 60,500 views on Facebook. The inquiry focused on an illegal building scheme near

the M1 motorway, which continued despite a construction ban. The investigation earned the immediate attention of the authorities including Andrei Spînu, the Minister of Roads and Infrastructure, who confirmed during a talk-show broadcasted on PRO TV that he learned of the events thanks to CU SENS’ report and declared that immediate action will be taken.

“The EU support granted through ERIM allowed us to be more confident in tomorrow amidst the harsh lockdowns. We were able to focus on revealing illegalities by various authorities. With this grant CU SENS obtained the status of a Personal Data Operator – which is still hard-to-achieve for most of newsrooms in the country. It will allow us to access multiple databases and records, increasing our ability to follow the public funds and identify the murky connections of the corrupt politicians”, highlights Liuba Șevciuc, founder and administrator of CU SENS Media CSO.

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Over 100 children benefitted from specialised services provided

by Early Intervention Centre “Lăstărel” from Criuleni

“Lăstărel” is a centre in Criuleni specializing in early intervention for children with disabilities and learning differences, it is the first of its kind in the eastern region of Moldova. Their services are free and available to all families in Criuleni and Dubasari raions. During the COVID-19 pandemic the Centre experienced difficulties and received an emergency support grant from of the EU-funded project “COVID-19: Civil Society Resilience and Sustainability”, implemented by ERIM. This support meant the centre was able to continue their work and they went on to help 110 children under the age of 3.

One of the beneficiaries of the centre is Alex from Criuleni raion, a 10-month-old boy that was brought by his mother to be evaluated when he was only 3 months old. The specialists of the “Lăstărel” center recommended a recovery programme including physical therapy and medical massages.

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Elena, Alex’s mother said: „I have noticed improvements after the first massage sessions when he began to roll up from side to side, and after the second rehabilitation course Alex began to sit up. … It is a great benefit to have such services close to home and especially for free. The specialists are very good, I recommend them with confidence to other parents.”

Youth with disabilities feed their dreams through rehabilitation programmes provided by Moldova AID Moldova AID, based in Rîșcani, is committed to promoting the rights of young people and children with disabilities. They do this through educational and behavioural programmes, which they provide free of charge at their ‘Phoenix’ rehabilitation and day-care centre for children and youth with disabilities. The organisation received financial support to cover core costs through the COVID-19: Civil Society Resilience and Sustainability project, financed by the European Union, and, as a result, was able to continue their work.

At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic Moldova AID was forced to temporarily suspend their activities and shut down the Phoenix centre. Furthermore, as an organisation that relies heavily on fundraising and social entrepreneurship, the lack of opportunities to raise money meant that they had no choice but to terminate contracts with five employees. Core support provided under the project allowed them to resume their activities and allowed the organisation to continue paying salaries.

This had a big impact. Between September 2020 and August 2021, Moldova AID provided rehabilitation services to 23 young people. Their specialists gave 80 massage and physiotherapy sessions, 50 speech therapy sessions, and 30 sensory psychotherapy sessions. They also provided activities and lessons in topics such as cooking, crafts and how to use a computer, with the aim of helping children and young people to make friends, communicate, and develop life skills.

“Here I started to relax my muscles, before they were tighter than now. I really like to do physical therapy, to do different exercises, massage. My biggest dream is to be able to stand up and walk”, Alexandru, 19 years old, has been coming to the Phoenix centre since its reopening and he received 20 physiotherapy and massage procedures in one year.

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EU continues to provide immediate support to Moldovan communities to help refugees from Ukraine

Source: https://www.undp.org/moldova/press-releases/eu-continues-providing-immediate-supportmoldovan-communities-help-refugees-ukrainezz The European Union has provided 130,000 EUR through its Confidence Building Measures Programme, implemented by UNDP, to support the Moldovan authorities’ and local communities’ response to the needs of refugees from Ukraine arriving in the Republic of Moldova.

With the support of the cross-river Health Platform created under the EU Confidence Building Measures Programme, 1,500 refugees that are temporarily accommodated on both banks of the Nistru River will benefit from sanitary kits including essential medicines and medication for people with diabetes, personal protective equipment, as well beds, duvets, bed linen, and pillows.

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To support refugees, the Health Platform has mobilised six volunteer teams, comprising five people each. The refugees from Ukraine will also benefit from medical and psychological consultations.

From the onset of the aggression against Ukraine, 10 diesel heater fans were donated to the refugees’ distribution centre in Palanca on the border with Ukraine. The Regional Centre for Rehabilitation of Victims of Domestic Violence from GagauzYeri, offering shelter to refugees, received 20 units of equipment and household appliances, making accommodations more comfortable.

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“We, in the European Union, are truly impressed by the overwhelming solidarity of the Republic of Moldova, from ordinary citizens to local and central authorities, with the people who fled the country as a result of the aggression against Ukraine. The European Union responded promptly by offering immediate support to the Republic of Moldova to help refugees who found shelter on both banks of the Nistru River. EU is committed to providing continuous support for the people of the Republic of Moldova, especially in this difficult time,” stated Jānis Mažeiks, Ambassador of the European Union to the Republic of Moldova.

„During this critical time, UNDP and the European Union stand by refugees fleeing violence and by host communities from both banks of the Nistru. We are providing immediate support and will facilitate the socio-economic inclusion of refugees going forward”, said Dima Al-Khatib, UNDP Resident Representative to the Republic of Moldova.

Teachers, psychologists, and educators from the cross-river Education Platform will get involved and organise educational activities for approx. 250 children from Ukraine. In addition, the Programme delivered toys to refugees made by Igor Hîncu, who received a Programme grant to expand his business 5 years ago.

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The Confidence Building Measures Programme, funded by the European Union and implemented by UNDP, contributes to building trust between residents on both sides of the Nistru River by involving them in joint development projects.

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European Union supports civil society in the Republic of Moldova to assist Ukrainian refugees Civil society organisations continue to stand in solidarity with Ukrainian refugees arriving in the Republic of Moldova. Through the European Union-funded regional project “Civil Society Organisations Capacity Development” in the Republic of Moldova, ERIM (formerly IREX Europe) provided a support of 5,000 EUR for the organisation A.O. “Inițiativă Pozitivă”. The organisation assists refugees in the Republic of Moldova

following the war in Ukraine, in particular by providing assistance to key populations affected by HIV and their families. The project is implemented between 3 March and 31 August 2022 and provides distribution of medicines, providing psychological assistance, legal advice, and informational support for employment for at least 500 refugees.

By mid-May 2022, in the framework of the grant, the organisation managed to provide assistance to about 318 Ukrainian refugees, including: ◊ 110 refugees received qualified psychological support; ◊ 41 people were advised on employment and 2 refugees were employed in the organisation A.O. “Inițiativă Pozitivă”; ◊ 53 persons were advised by a quasi-judicial expert on obtaining asylum; ◊ 64 people, with the help of the quasi-judicial expert, received access to the replacement treatment with methadone and buprenorphine; ◊ 48 refugees received specific medicines according to their addresses.

Also, 700 packages of first-aid medicines were purchased, worth about 60 lei each. The drugs were distributed to beneficiaries who were tested for HIV, syphilis and hepatitis C in temporary placement centres. Around 400 packages have already been distributed to people in need.

According to the evaluations and feedback provided by the final beneficiaries, they appreciated the extremely useful and necessary support provided by employees and volunteers within the organisation. All information on the amount of aid provided to NGO A.O. “Inițiativă Pozitivă” can be followed in real time on the following page: https://positivepeople.md/pomoschibezhencam/ “Civil Society Organizations Capacity Development” is a regional project implemented by Equal Rights & Independent Media – ERIM (IREX Europe) with the financial support of the European Union and aims to strengthen and improve the operational and organizational capacities of civil society organisations in the Republic of Moldova.

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EU4Youth: School Garden - opportunities for young people to learn and to develop skills in agricultural entrepreneurship

On 15 and 19 April, within the School Gardens from Oxentea Gymnasium, Dubasari District and “Dumitru Matcovschi” Gymnasium from Vadul lui Rașcov Village, Soldanesti District, two workshops were held with the title “Agricultural Entrepreneurship and Employment Opportunities for young people in rural areas”.

The Project local coordinators presented to the youth various financing opportunities for launching a small agricultural business both within the School Garden project and within the Organization for the Development of Small and Medium Enterprises, with real and current examples. The young people had the opportunity to see first-hand how the techniques of organic farming are applied, making trips to the plantations of radishes, blackberries, raspberries, and currants.

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Furthermore, the School Garden project is a source of inspiration for teachers of biology, technology education and entrepreneurship who have had the opportunity to learn from the experience of local coordinators in order to replicate these models of agricultural entrepreneurship in their localities.

Thus, 33 teachers from 5 districts of the North region of the country, as well as 30 teachers from 6 districts of the Central

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area of the country participated at the regional workshops entitled: “School Garden - theoretical and practical example during study hours for the development of gardening skills, entrepreneurial skills and for career guidance”, held in the first two weeks of May.

The participants had the opportunity to get acquainted with the first sources regarding the practices of organic farming, visiting organic gardens where such techniques as composting, permaculture and others are practiced.

The “School Garden” project is implemented with the support of the European Union, through the EU4Youth programme, and co-financed by the International Green Cross in 2018-2022.

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Gender stereotypes and discrimination in advertising – tackled with EU support Sexist advertising is a hidden form of gender-based violence. The idea was shared by participants in a public dialogue organised on 6 May 2002 by the East Europe Foundation, in collaboration with the Coalition for Inclusion and Non-Discrimination. The event is part of the „Advocacy for better protection against discrimination” project, funded by the European Union and co-funded by Sweden.

According to representatives of the Coalition for Inclusion and Non-Discrimination sexist advertising is offensive and harms human dignity. „Many businesses and manufacturers consciously make use of sexist advertising regardless of the consequences that may follow. The aim of the event is to facilitate dialogue between civil society, authorities and other stakeholders interested in

modernising the legal framework to prevent and combat sexist advertising. Urgent measures are needed to avoid abuse in the use of degrading and humiliating methods, which could seriously affect the dignity and honour of a person or a category of persons”, said Gheorghina Drumea, Secretary of the Coalition for Inclusion and Non-discrimination.

„The exploitation of the human body is a shame and a humiliation. I find this marketing approach unacceptable. I am sure there are other ways to promote certain goods and products without resorting to such shameful actions. We should find the necessary tools and take action to stop this trend”, highlighted Sorin Mereacre, President of the East Europe Foundation.

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„Sexist advertising is part of a system of discriminatory phenomena, which is why it is very important to tackle them systemically.

A new advertising law has recently been approved, which includes clearer and more comprehensive provisions on this phenomenon. Clearly, from now on, it is necessary for civil society and government institutions to act in a consolidated way”, pointed out Marcela Adam, Member of the Parliamentary Committee on culture, education, research, youth, sport and media.

Gender expert Elena Rățoi believes that „sexist advertising perpetuates gender stereotypes, which negatively affect both women and men, who are forced to conform to unreal standards.”

Those present at the workshop highlighted the lack of an effective mechanism to prevent and sanction sexist advertising. The present legal framework does not provide for

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methods and measures to check the content of advertising. The procedure for sanctioning those who commissioned, developed and distributed sexist advertisements is a cumbersome and time-consuming procedure, requiring an inordinate amount of time and involving authorities.

It was concluded that the Republic of Moldova needs better regulation of advertising and its content at state level, as well as of the mechanism for sanctioning those promoting sexist messages, and in particular, the granting to a single competent authority the right to observe and sanction sexist advertising.

Following the event, organised by the East Europe Foundation in collaboration with the Coalition for Inclusion and NonDiscrimination (CIN), in the framework of the “Advocacy for better protection against discrimination” project, the CIN members will prepare a draft amendment to the legal framework and will ask the authorities to make commitments and agree on a clear deadline for the implementation of the recommendations.

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Digital and physical security training for Moldovan journalists, organised with EU support Around 40 media professionals of various backgrounds and from all the regions of Moldova received practical training on digital & physical security and war journalism from top-notch experts, followed by the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

After the start of the Russian military aggression in Ukraine, the StratCom project surveyed more than 50 journalists of various backgrounds, representing different types of media (TV, print, online) from all the regions of Moldova. The scope of the survey was to find out if there is any specific capacity building need for journalists and their work in a new regional context.

As a result of the survey, most of the journalists requested training on “digital and physical security”, as well as a workshop training on “war journalism”.

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attending the training physically, while the rest of them participating online. The twoday training focused on hand-on exercises and study cases combined with theoretical presentations on digital and physical security tips for journalists, as well as journalism in war context.

As a response to this demand, the StratCom project invited two experts on “digital & physical security and war journalism” from Georgia: Michael Devsurashvili and David Mdzinarishvili, both with vast experience in working in media during the war and delivering study case trainings for media professionals.

The training was held on 7-8 May 2022, in Chisinau, and gathered together more than 40 media professionals from all the regions of Moldova. The training has been organised in hybrid format: 30 participants

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At the end of the training, the participants increased their capacities in understanding the deontological aspects of reporting on war and refugee crisis; understanding the practical aspects of physical security of newsroom and journalists; understanding and apply cybersecurity software and techniques during reporting; and implementing all the acquired skills in the newsroom and during field reporting. “This seminar answered several security questions I was looking for an answer to after February 24th. Then with the information provided I realized that you have to make a very accurate plan: where do you get the water from if the taps are closed?

Where do you get your medicine from? Where are you hiding if they bomb you? And most importantly, I understood how to continue doing journalism in such conditions.” declared Polina Cupcea, journalist at Oameni și Kilometri, who attended the training.

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Cluster meeting on dual education developed within Erasmus+ projects at universities from the Republic of Moldova

The contribution of the Erasmus+ projects to the development of dual higher education in the Republic of Moldova was the topic of the event organised on 12 May by the National Erasmus+ Office, with the support of the European Union, the Ministry of Education and Research, and WBL4JOB and COOPERA Erasmus+ projects coordinators. Thus, during the meeting, the participants of the two Erasmus+ capacity building in higher education projects (CBHE) – COOPERA and WBL4JOB, shared the experiences on their projects’ implementation, discussed the challenges and opportunities of dual education for Moldovan universities and agreed on cooperation intentions between the two projects in the future.

COOPERA - Integrating Dual Higher Education in Moldova and Ukraine, and WBL4JOB Introducing work-based learning in higher education systems of Armenia and Moldova for better employability of graduates are the two Erasmus+ winner projects within the 2020 selection. Both projects have as their basic objective the development

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of practice-based education, in order to increase the employability of students and create sustainable partnerships between universities and enterprises, by introducing the necessary changes in the legislation of the Republic of Moldova, through close cooperation of both projects with the Minister of Education and Research.

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One of the main objectives of Erasmus + capacity building projects is to take over the experience of European universities and implement it, with the necessary adjustments, in the institutions from the Republic of Moldova. Thus, COOPERA and WBL4JOB included in their projects’ consortia higher education institutions from Germany, Spain, Bulgaria, Poland, Slovenia, France, Austria and Belgium, which allowed Moldovan participants to carry out study visits and trainings at European partner institutions.

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About 40 participants were present at the event, including the programme officer of the EU Delegation to the Republic of Moldova - Giuseppe Paglione, the general secretary of the Ministry of Education and Research - Nadejda Velisco, but also representatives of the five higher education institutions participating in COOPERA and WBL4JOB projects (Academy of Economic Studies of Moldova, Technical University of Moldova, Free International University of Moldova, “Alecu Russo” State University of Balti and Cooperative-Commercial University of Moldova).

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Opportunities for young people: internships in state institutions, thanks to the pilot programme launched by the European Union in partnership with the Government of the Republic of Moldova

Students in the 3rd and 4th year of the undergraduate cycle, master students, as well as recent graduates can pursue internships in the central public institutions of the Republic of Moldova, for a period of two months. The EU High Level Advisers will guide beneficiaries of the internship

programme in their day-to-day work. The internship programme for young people in public institutions - a joint initiative of the European Union and the Government of the Republic of Moldova, was launched on May 5, 2022, at the State University of Moldova.

The programme offers young people the opportunity to gain an inside picture of the activities and responsibilities of public administration and to work for two months with civil servants in areas such as: economy, education, environment, European integration, reintegration policies, infrastructure and regional development etc. In order to find out from the first source how civil servants from the Republic of Moldova, but also from the member states of the European Union started their career in the public service, the students were invited, between May 5 and 12, to interactive information sessions that took place in universities in Chisinau, Cahul and Balti: ◊ “B.P. Hașdeu” State University of Cahul, May 6 ◊ “A. Russo” State University of Bălți, May 11 ◊ Academy of Economic Studies, Chisinau, May 12

The internship will take place between June and August 2022, and the allowances offered to trainees are fully funded by the European Union.

The initiative to involve young people through internships in state institutions in the Republic of Moldova was launched in the context of the European Year of Youth 2022, also marked in the Republic of Moldova, which encourages pro-active participation of young people in all social, economic and social activities. administrative.

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The Triumphal Arch and the Soroca Fortress, illuminated in the colours of the European Union flag on the occasion of Europe Day 2022

Together we marked the European values, freedom, democracy, and solidarity for peace. The citizens of the Republic of Moldova from all over the country celebrated Europe Day 2022.

At the invitation of the European Union Delegation, people from Chisinau, Ungheni, Edinet, Soroca and Stefan Voda joined the European Village in their locality.

Those wishing to celebrate Europe Day 2022 enjoyed a fun programme designed for all tastes and ages. The guests of the European Village had the opportunity to get closer to the culture and values of the European Union, getting involved in the activities organised such as: interactive games, quizzes, discussions, etc. The most ingenious took part in competitions and tested their knowledge about the European Union and its Member States.

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In addition to the interactive activities organised for children and adults, all those interested in capturing the most beautiful moments spent with loved ones in the European Village had the opportunity to do it.

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We made sure they will leave the event holding their printed photos. Our engaging activities were also complemented by discussions on the European Union’s contribution to the development of the people’s localities. Our guests had the opportunity to learn more about what the European Union’s projects implemented and the results of these initiatives.

colours. The most important information centre of the European Union, Europe Café, also hosted a light show dedicated to European solidarity.

In Chisinau, the members of the EU Information Centres and Euro Clubs took to the streets with slogans and placards to mark the Europe Day 2022. The young people from the EU Information Centres and the Euro Clubs from Chisinau and Straseni organised a flash mob on the “Piața Marii Adunări Naționale”. In other localities, the members of the centres were involved in organising the activities carried out in the European Village.

The artistic programme was followed by exceptional concerts. Artists from Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova performed on stage to mark Europe Day 2022. With the sunset, for the first time, the Triumphal Arch from the capital and the Soroca Fortress, restored with the financial support of the European Union, were illuminated in EU

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Visitors of the European Village in Chișinău learned about the concept of human rights defenders The EU-funded project „Shields for human rights defenders – Supporting Human Rights Defenders in the Republic of Moldova” was represented by the team of the Legal Resources Centre from Moldova during the Europe Day event, which took place in the Great National Assembly Square in Chisinau on 14 May 2022.

Hundreds of citizens were introduced to the concept of Human Rights Defender, learned about the project’s activities, and informed

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themselves from the publications produced by the experts of LRCM and implementing partners.

The guide with instructions on the rights of a detained person, developed within the project, was among the most requested publications by visitors to the LRCM’s tent in the European Village. They also solved quizzes on human rights and the European Union and were rewarded with symbolic prizes.

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Europe Day 2022: results of two surveys on basic economic financial education in Moldova On the occasion of the Europe Day 2022 celebration the PPF* Project team prepared and run two mini surveys on basic economic/financial issues concerning Moldova. The purpose of this initiative was to measure the basic economic/financial knowledge and serve as an opportunity for people to increase their knowledge of fundamental economic and financial matters. The two small samples comprised university students through an online survey and the general public through people participating in the European Village event in Chisinau.

The survey for university students was rolled out online between 9-13 May 2022 and contained ten multiple choice questions. Overall, 73 students from the Moldova State University, the Academy of Economic Studies of Moldova, the State Agrarian University of Moldova, the Technical University of Moldova, the State University from Comrat and the Dunarea de Jos University from Galati participated in the survey.

The results of the survey revealed 8% of respondents with 9 correct answers, while 27% provided 8 correct answers, 30% with 7 correct answers and 20% with 6 correct answers – presented in Figure 1.

Figure 1: Europe Day 2022 online survey for students, 9-13 May 2022

Upon completion of the online survey, all respondents received an email with the correct answers. The top achievers will be invited to a small awards ceremony providing them with the opportunity to interact with officials from the EU Delegation to Moldova, the Ministry of Finance, and the PPF Project team. The event is planned to take place in June and will be hosted by the Ministry of Finance.

The second mini survey was carried out during the European Village event organised in Chisinau on 14 May 2022. EU-branded gifts were handed out to the general public upon completion of a small survey. Members of the PPF Project team facilitated the process by assisting the members of the public to complete the survey. The survey contained five multiple choice questions on basic economic/financial issues concerning Moldova and the EU support provided to the country. There were 200 respondents, and the overall results of the survey are depicted in the Figure 2.

Figure 2: Europe Day 2022 survey for the general public, 14 May 2022

* PPF Project – EU funded project Support the Moldovan Government in Identifying and Preparing Projects Linked to the Implementation of the Association Agreement.

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Social services, developed with the support of the European Union, presented during Europe Day 2022

The social services developed within the project “Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) work for better social services” were presented and explained during the events dedicated to Europe Day organised in May in Chisinau, Ungheni and Soroca. The visitors were asked what categories of people can benefit from these services, where they can access them and what organisations develop or provide them. Passers-by also bought handicrafts made by children with disabilities, the elderly or young people with autism, in the hope that they will help improve the work of these organisations. a student exchange programme. He added that he and his colleagues would like to treat children with autism free of charge and provide dental procedures: treatment of the teeth whenever they need, at the University Clinic”. The invitation was sent to the Association, which announced that it would be accepted.

The project stand in the European City of Chisinau was visited by the passers-by, who were briefed on the social services developed in the project and participated in an exercise to simulate vision loss. Thus, the Low Vision Centre, beneficiary of European grant and funding, aimed at raising awareness among the public at large about the problems that people with visual impairments face on a daily basis.

One of the young people passing by the project stand stopped by the wax and honey products, made by the children who do therapy at the “SOS Autism” Association.

After buying a candle, the young man said that his name is Firus Alsaid, he is from the United States, but he has been studying Dentistry in Chisinau for four years, through

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In Ungheni, the project stand was the place where the children who participated in the “Europe Day” creative contest, organised by the “Social Alternatives” Public Association, were awarded.

“We are currently creating a very necessary social service for Ungheni district establishing the functions of specialist in the protection of children’s rights in the four largest city halls in the district. This will help prevent the institutionalization of children at

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risk. We are not in the first project with European funding, we also received support that proved to be very useful, because we managed to develop efficient social services and in line with the current needs of the people”, said Adriana Frasin, president of the “Social Alternatives” Association.

The project was also presented in Soroca, where the European Caravan arrived on May 22nd. At the project stand, Valentina Onică, president of the “Casa Speranţelor” Association, told visitors about the new service to be created in Soroca - Day Centre for children at risk. “The support provided by the European Union is very important for us, because otherwise we would not have been able to develop the social services so necessary for the population. Also, with the support of the EU and the Soros Foundation Moldova, in a previous project, we managed to

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deinstitutionalize 20 people with disabilities from the Temporary Placement Centre for People with Disabilities in Bădiceni. We have created 4 protected shelters for them, which are currently functional, the people who live in them have joined the community, have developed work skills. Here I came with a mini exhibition of their work. After that success, we benefit from a new financing and in partnership with the public authorities, we create in Soroca another social service - Day Centre for children at risk”, said Valentina Onică.

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“We wanted the activities of the project ‘Civil society organisations work for better social services’ to be presented in different localities during the events dedicated to Europe Day, so people learn about the services created with the help of the European Union and the Soros Foundation Moldova, they can be documented and, if necessary, accessed. It is also important for people to be aware of the European Union’s contribution to supporting efforts to create communities that are inclusive and resilient to the needs of vulnerable groups. The Soros Foundation Moldova is already co-financing and implementing the second project funded by the European Union. Dozens of social services have been developed in both, for children, for people with disabilities, for the elderly. The development of an efficient system of social services throughout the country is an objective that the European Union and the Soros Foundation Moldova assumed several years ago”, said Daniela Leahu, project director, Soros Foundation Moldova.

The project “Civil Society Organisations work for better social services” is funded by the European Union, co-financed and implemented by the Soros Foundation Moldova in partnership with Keystone Moldova and Institutum Virtutes Civilis Public Association. Within the project, 40 CSOs develop quality and inclusive social services throughout the Republic of Moldova. The project runs for 42 months and has a total budget of 3,375,000 EUR.

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EU funded project “Strengthening supervision, corporate governance and risk management in the financial sector” informed the visitors of the European Village in Chisșnău about project’s main activities

On the occasion of Europe Day 2022, under the overarching theme of “Solidarity for Peace”, representatives of the EU financed twinning project team “Strengthening supervision, corporate governance and risk management in the financial sector” alongside the representatives of the beneficiary institutions - the National Bank of Moldova (NBM) and the National Commission for the Financial Markets (NCFM), have participated in the traditional event “European Village” held on 14 May 2022, in Chisinau in the Main National Assembly Square.

The event was an opportunity to present to the public at large the objectives of the twinning project and the technical assistance provided to NBM and NCFM in order to further develop and reform the financial sector of the Republic of Moldova according to EU best practices aiming to contribute to the efficient implementation of the Moldova-EU Association Agreement.

The objective of this project is to strengthen supervision, corporate governance and risk management in the financial sector and is implemented by a consortium formed by Banca Națională a României (BNR), De Nederlandsche Bank (DNB) and Lietuvos bankas (LB) with the support of the Financial Supervisory Authority (ASF) and National Authority for Consumer Protection (ANPC) from Romania. The project has a duration of 24 months and an allocated budget of almost 1.73 million EUR.

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EU4Culture conference: two cities from the Republic of Moldova joined “EU4Culture Cities Network” On 19-20 May 2022, in Tbilisi, Georgia, EU4Culture organised the 1st Regional Network Conference, where the project established “EU4Culture Cities Network”.

“EU4Culture Cities Network” will serve as the platform for knowledge exchange and collaboration between the 14 selected cities from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Republic of Moldova and Ukraine that have received the EU funding to prepare Cultural Development Strategies. From Republic of Moldova, Cahul and Orhei joined the network.

“EU4Culture Cities Network offers a unique opportunity to the cities in the Eastern Partnership countries to create a trusted and long-lasting cooperation platform that will enable open sharing of best practices and experiences in culture and creative sector, creation of common initiatives and cultural programmes, facilitate public-private dialogue also on inter-regional level.”, said Dr Anatoli Beifert, Team Leader of the EU4Culture project Mayors and other representatives of the selected cities, representatives of the Delegation of the European Union to Georgia, Representatives of the Ministry of Culture Sport and Youth of Georgia, together with the experts and relevant stakeholders attended the event.

At the conference, private stakeholders, experts and donor organisations also presented funding possibilities to the cities and introduced best practices in public and private partnerships. On the second day

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of the conference, the project organised workshops on policymaking and regulatory framework for the city officials.

EU4Culture is a four-year project funded by the European Union to support the culture and creative sector with a special focus on non-capital cities and towns in the Eastern Partnership Countries. The project is implemented by the Goethe Institut (lead), Institut Francais Georgie, Danish Cultural Institute and Czech Centres.

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Civil society representatives from Cahul and Ungheni regions reunited in premiere in a joint Fair of Civic Initiatives, organised with EU support

Establishing a platform of dialogue and cooperation, as well as exchange of experience among the civil society representatives from Cahul and Ungheni regions, beneficiaries of “EU4Moldova: Focal Regions” programme, financed by EU and implemented by UNDP and UNICEF, have been the main outcomes of the Fair of Civic Initiatives, organised on 19 May in Chisinau.

The Fair of Civic Initiatives, conducted within the series of events dedicated to Europe Day, was attended by the Ambassador of the European Union to the Republic of Moldova, Jānis Mažeiks, UNDP Resident Representative to the Republic of Moldova, Dima Al-Khatib, national experts, local authorities, and representatives of civil society from Cahul and Ungheni.

“Civil Society Organisations play a key role in strengthening democracy and advocating for European values. Through the EU4Moldova: Focal Regions programme, the European Union and our partners have provided capacity building and a grants programme for CSOs. This support has facilitated the participation of CSOs in local governance processes, boosted local socio-economic development and enabled CSOs to improve citizens’ access to quality public services, while leaving no one behind. The Civic Fair of Initiatives will provide a platform for CSOs to enhance their cooperation and knowledge exchange across both Cahul and Ungheni regions.” stated Jānis Mažeiks, Ambassador of the European Union to the Republic of Moldova.

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“We are eager to learn today about the commendable work of civil society organisations from the two Focal Regions in the local strategic planning process, in partnering with the local authorities and mobilizing local communities in building prosperous localities in Moldova, but also in weathering various challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic and dealing more recently with emerging priorities to support the refugees,” mentioned Dima Al-Khatib, UNDP Resident Representative to the Republic of Moldova.

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The event tackled key aspects as: cooperation between CSOs and LPAs for strategic planning; implementation, monitoring and evaluation of development policies at local level; creating partnerships for sustainable development and economic growth of rural communities; best practices and experiences implemented at the local level; as well as challenges faced by local communities and CSOs’ role in increasing community resilience to cope with challenges, including by their engagement in supporting refugees from Ukraine.

The Fair of Civic Initiatives brought together, for the first time, over 20 CSOs from Cahul and Ungheni focal regions. The event hosted as well a photo exhibition of civic initiatives from both regions, representing the main activities, projects, and their achievements.

“EU4Moldova: Focal Regions” programme (2019-2024) support smart, environmentally friendly, inclusive and sustainable social-economic development in Cahul and Ungheni regions, to ensure better quality of life for people. The Programme has a total budget of 23 million EUR, being financed by the European Union and implemented by United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

For more details about Programme activities in Cahul and Ungheni please see www.eu4cahul.md and www.eu4ungheni.md.

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Civil Society Organisations Fair – Together we make our voice heard!

Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) from all over the country took part in the CSO Fair on Saturday 14 May, as part of Europe Day 2022. The CSO representatives informed the visitors of the European Village in the Grand National Assembly Square about their achievements and the support they offer to beneficiaries in Moldova.

The scope of activity of the participating organisations was very diverse, from promoting civic activism, good governance, carrying out development programmes for children and youth, to social activities dedicated to vulnerable groups (elderly, disabled, homeless, children with special educational needs or vulnerable families, etc.).

Attending the event, Nina Lozinschi, Secretary-General of the Platform for Gender Equality, said that the CSO Fair was an opportunity for CSO member organisations to talk to visitors about the importance of developing a society in which both women and men enjoy equal opportunities and visibility. “Women’s organisations are present at the CSO Fair to talk to people about the services we can offer. We, within the Platform, provide legal, medical and psychological counselling services for women in vulnerable situations. We assure them that we are always ready to listen and help,” said the Secretary General of the Platform for Gender Equality.

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Among the CSOs at the Fair there was also present the National Youth Council of Moldova (CNTM), which represents the voice of young people from all over the country. The organisation’s data indicates that more government involvement is needed in Moldova to address the challenges faced by young people, such as the lack of jobs, explains CNTM representative, Dimitri Cernica. „We in the Council sincerely believe that a society can develop harmoniously especially when it invests in young people. We are the ones who bring change, we are the future foundation of this country, so by investing in us, the authorities are actually investing in a strong society in the future.

You should know that we are very optimistic about Moldova’s democratic path. Today, at the CSO Fair, we met a lot of people eager for change for the better”, said Dimitri Cernica.

The Association for Child and Family Empowerment „AVE COPIII” has been active for over three decades in the Republic of Moldova. It supports in particular children at risk and young people who have left alternative care. Only last year almost 400 young people were assisted and 430 professionals from local and territorial guardianship authorities, including teachers from technical vocational education, benefited from the association’s services. Antonina Comerzan, head of the association’s youth support service, says that the CSO Fair was an opportunity for citizens to see the breadth of the voluntary sector. „It was an opportunity for our potential beneficiaries to understand how diverse the services we offer are. In addition, participating in the Fair was an opportunity to align ourselves with the motto of Europe Day: Solidarity for Peace”, said Antonina Comerzam.

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The president of the Public Association „Institutum Virtutes Civilis”, Liliana Palihovici, drew attention to the fact that although the dynamics of the development of social services in recent years has been positive, the network of existing services is still not sufficiently well known by potential beneficiaries and public authorities, which means that positive models, including those funded from the public budget, are not multiplied and remain unknown. „In fact, CSOs contribute to the development of Moldova and to the consolidation of the country’s democratic path. In our view, too little is known about the work that civil society organisations do. We believe that the fair was an opportunity for them to make themselves visible, including for taxpayers to redirect 2% of their income tax each year to social projects and educational programmes for children, teenagers or the elderly,” said Liliana Palihovici.

According to the coordinator of the project „Partnerships 4 Women Leadership and Good Governance”, Inga Iovu, the CSO Fair provided a platform for participating organisations to exchange ideas and new visions for cooperation and involvement in solving local problems. „Essential to the Fair was the communication and the approximation of the thirty CSOs that participated. They were able to share ideas, initiatives and the successes they have achieved in their communities. It was nice to see that they exchanged contacts and made potential partnerships in the future, which we are happy about”, added Inga Iovu.

The Civil Society Organizations Fair was organised in the framework of the project “Partnerships 4 Women Leadership and Good Governance”, implemented by the Friedrich Ebert Foundation Moldova and Public Association “Institutum Virtutes Civilis”, with the financial support of the European Union and the Friedrich Ebert Foundation.

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Dialogue based on trust - the key to success for a sustainable partnership between authorities and Civil Society Organisations The data used by civil society representatives indicate that the dynamics of the development of social services over the last 8 years has been positive, despite the fact that the current system of social services still does not fully respond to the realities in the country and that the network of existing services is not well known either by potential beneficiaries or by public authorities.

This means that positive models, including those funded from the public budget, are not being multiplied and remain unknown, say managers of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs).

How can partnerships between authorities and civil society organisations be strengthened?

This was the question participants tried to answer at the „Partnerships for the development of social services” debate, organised by the Friedrich Ebert Foundation Moldova and Public Association „Institutum Virtutes Civilis”, as part of the Europe Day campaign, which takes place from 9 to 31 May.

The Director of the Friedrich Ebert Foundation Moldova, Ana Mihailov, pointed out that in recent years, efforts have been made to develop a society that offers wellbeing to its citizens, where everyone enjoys respect, opportunities and equal chances.

„We intend to discuss how we can build partnerships for social services, starting from the premise that the state is not able, on its own, especially against the background of the multiple crises and challenges we are currently facing, to provide quality social services, on a continuous basis, and to extend them to all those who need them”, Ana Mihailov pointed out.

The European Union is among the most reliable partners of the Moldovan authorities, which has consistently provided support for the development of social services. Project Manager at the European Union Delegation to Moldova, Victoria Neaga, noted that the new context in the region, influenced by the war in Ukraine and the large number of refugees, proves that partnerships for the social services development are vital.

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„The social services development area is a priority for the European Union Delegation. In 2018 we supported a very large first project with a total budget of two million euros, which resulted in 42 social services at local level throughout Moldova. We are talking here about day centres for children, centres for the elderly, mobile teams providing social services at home for people who cannot move, or providing psychological assistance to victims of domestic violence. In 2020, with the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the field of social services has become even more important. The energy crisis and the war in Ukraine have unfortunately complicated the situation, i.e. EU funding in this area has only started to increase in order to respond promptly and effectively to the needs of vulnerable people”, reassured Victoria Neaga, Project Manager at the Delegation of the European Union to the Republic of Moldova.

Attending the debate, Minister of Labour and Social Protection, Marcel Spatari, said the authorities have started work on a social services database.

„Unfortunately, we realised that we do not have an information system for social services offered in the country. So our social canteens, for example, don’t have an information system to manage their beneficiaries, to plan, etc. In order to have a vision and to be able to coordinate things better, we need a well-developed information system. We also have a problem with the financing of social services. Today there are a lot of projects with international donors who are ready to help us, but they provide support for a limited period of time, after which we, the authorities, have to take them over and fund them. If we don’t know about the existence of these services, we have no way of planning budgets to support them and so we end up with closed nursing homes because they are no longer funded. On the other hand, local authorities don’t provide them with funding because they simply don’t have resources budgeted for them”, commented Minister Marcel Spatari.

Over the years, Moldova’s development partners have provided support for the development of social services, but there is a pressing need for a strategic country vision for social services.

The view was expressed by Mariana Ianachevici, Director of the Association for Child and Family Empowerment „AVE COPIII”, who gave more details about the challenges to sustainable partnerships between authorities and CSOs

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„I’m sorry to say this, but there are still villages or towns where the local public authority cannot clearly explain how many people need a social canteen: five or 50, how many children need to go to a day centre: ten or all the children in the community? (...) Unfortunately, over the years we have not taught people what active citizenship means, we have not taught them what participation and involvement in the act of government means. We say: yes, we want to develop services, but have we asked the citizens, how do they see their development, what are their expectations? The citizen must be informed about what the local public authority can offer”, said Mariana Ianachevici.

At the end of the debate „Partnerships for the development of social services”, the president of the Public Association „Institutum Virtutes Civilis”, Liliana Palihovici, concluded that social service organisations need support especially in low-income districts.

„The resources that local public authorities have today to support CSOs are far too small to meet the needs of beneficiaries. In order to avoid a situation where people in underdeveloped regions are at risk of not being able to benefit from social services, there are more and more voices arguing that perhaps a National Fund for co-financing social services should be developed. This is a view to which central authorities should listen. Why? Because together we want the same thing: to raise the standard of living for citizens and to develop society for the better”, said the President of the Public Association „Institutum Virtutes Civilis”.

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The debate was organised in the framework of the project „Partnerships 4 Women Leadership and Good Governance”, implemented by the Friedrich Ebert Foundation Moldova and the Public Association „Institutum Virtutes Civilis”, with the financial support of the European Union and the Friedrich Ebert Foundation.

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EU-funded project JOBOTECA - a space for innovative ideas and personal development for students and teachers from 25 schools in the Republic of Moldova JOBOTECA is the meeting place for ambitious and curious youth, where they learn new things, exchange ideas and experiences. After more than half a year of not seeing each other in person, 25 school students - members of the JOBOTECA Advisory Group – from 5 districts from Moldova met again during spring break for a new teambuilding.

As they have only communicated online during this time, the reunion and reconnection was a joy for all of them, strengthening their team spirit even more. „It was a reunion we had been looking forward to for a long time. It was interesting to see how much we have changed, both physically and spiritually, in all this time since our last offline meeting”, noted Renata, an 8th grader from the village of Grozești (r. Nisporeni).

For 3 days, the students participated in the training offered by Terre des hommes Moldova on topics chosen by them in advance, which they consider the most important for their development at this stage. In this way, they consolidated their knowledge and trained their public speaking and time management skills. At the same time, they developed an action plan and set out the activities they will carry out in their schools.

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„I really liked the game-based activities because they leave a stronger impression. One basic idea that I left with after these days is how important it is to understand and accept all people. I also developed my public speaking skills and understood efficient and correct time management!”, said Ian, also an 8th grader from the village of Zubresti (r. Straseni).

Alongside the students, 70 teachers and school managers from the 25 schools also participated to a training course. They met from 26 to 29 April in Vadul-lui-Vodă, where they took part in sessions on „Entrepreneurial education”, „Career guidance” and „Development of digital skills”. Subsequently, based on the knowledge gained, the teachers will implement the Joboteca programme in schools, offering career guidance training to students. „It was a very welcome training programme. We discovered a lot of very useful new things that we can implement both in the programme and in the classroom. We also reinforced some of our knowledge, such as SWAT analysis, which is a very good tool for evaluating an activity or institution.

As a result of this course, I will work a lot with secondary and high school students and actively involve them in activities such as the „CV Baseline” or the GROW method, so that they can see what steps they need to take next and what their options are. We will also plan activities with experts in the field from next academic year onwards. I will support them and help them to choose their future profession correctly and it is important to do it with passion”, said Vera Botnaru, director of the „Ion Inculeț” Theoretical High School, Vorniceni village, Strășeni district.

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„JOBOTECA - pilot programme to prepare young people in Moldova for the labor market” (2021 - 2024) is an innovative project, funded by the European Union, being implemented in 25 schools in the districts of Soroca, Calarasi, Nisporeni, Straseni and Causeni. These schools have been equipped with a „career library”, where students of secondary and high

school classes will participate in programmes to guide them in choosing a profession. In total, by the end of the project, more than 3,000 students will benefit from career guidance and participate in training, mentoring and internship programmes to develop and strengthen their skills to make the right career choice.

The project, with a budget of more than 1 million EUR, is implemented by Terre des hommes Romania and Terre des hommes Moldova Foundation, in partnership with the Ministry of Education and Research of the Republic of Moldova and is financed by the European Union.

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The European Union is providing assistance for the establishment of the Advisory Boards of Children (ABC) in four districts of the country With the support of the European Union, around 100 children aged 12-16 from Cantemir, Cimișlia, Ștefan Vodă and Taraclia districts have become members of the Advisory Boards of Children. Their mission is to make children’s voice heard, including of those placed in social services, and to inform their peers about their rights.

The selected members will attend a number of trainings that will enable them to monitor

and evaluate local policies and programmes that are focused on children’s rights. The first training will be delivered on 9th April to the members of ABC from Taraclia district.

The Advisory Boards of Children are created by the NGO “Partnerships for Every Child” (P4EC) with support of the EU within the “For a society where girls and boys can thrive and reach their full potential with dignity” project.

Advisory Boards of Children have been set up by P4EC in 10 other districts of the country since 2014. Over 800 children have been members of these boards.

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European Union supports the strengthening of the system of services addressed to children and families at local level

The European Union project “For a society where girls and boys can thrive and reach their full potential with dignity” project implemented by the NGO “Partnerships for every child” organised a study visit for social workers in the Republic of Moldova. The teams from the four districts met the vicepresident in charge of social issues/chair of the Gatekeeping Commission, the directors of the Social Assistance and Family Protection Department, Education Department and Finance Department, as well as specialists in child protection and family issues.

The decision-makers and specialists from Ungheni shared how they managed to reconfigure the local child protection system and reach one of the lowest figures of children cared for in the residential system. At the same time, they presented their experience in planning, developing and implementing the Family Support Service, alternative family-type services, such as foster care and, last but not least, how they managed to secure funding for these services.

Another topic addressed was the development and integration of Psycho-Social Assistance Programmes for parents/caregivers and children in the system of social services such as PANDA, Mellow Parenting, etc. The agenda also included visits to services such as the Centre for Family and Child Social Assistance “CREDO”, the District Resource Centre for Inclusive Education, etc. Best practices in preventing and fighting against child violence, neglect and exploitation in mainstream education institutions were also part of the study visit.

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INSTITUTIONS AND GOVERNMENT EU High Level Advisers: National Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Risk Assessment Report, presented publicly

The second National Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Risk Assessment Report was officially presented to the relevant authorities and stakeholders during a launching event on 8 April, which was jointly organised by the Office for Prevention and Fight against Money Laundering and the European Union High Level Advisers Mission to the Republic of Moldova.

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The event gathered more than 50 representatives of Parliament, Government institutions, law enforcement agencies, international development partners, business and civil society organisations. The aim of the event was to present the threats and vulnerabilities of the national AntiMoney Laundering/Combatting Financing of Terrorism regime and familiarise the participants with the content of the document, especially those parts related to risk level of each evaluated sector – banking, insurance, currency exchange units, real estate, non-banking credit organisations, non-financial businesses and professions (notaries, accountants, lawyers).

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The assessment exercise lasted for two years and was carried out at country level, on the basis of the provisions of the Law No. 308/2017 on preventing and combating money laundering and terrorist financing.

The report is the result of a cooperation process between 18 institutions (supervision entities, law enforcement institutions, judicial and prosecution branch), under the coordination of the Office for Prevention and Fight against Money Laundering under the Government of the Republic of Moldova. It will constitute the basis for the improvements of the National Action Plan on Anti-Money Laundering. This exercise was supported by three of the EU High Level Advisers working under the Mission financed by the European Union.

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Women4Security: new partnerships for peace, with active involvement of women in the Republic of Moldova On 14 April, the Ministry of Internal Affairs organised a debates and networking event, which brought together women from public institutions, such as Parliament, Government, local public authorities and the diplomatic community in the Republic of Moldova. The event is part of the range of activities launched within the Together4Home Affairs platform.

building and activities to ensure security in crisis situations, was emphasized.

The purpose of the event is to maintain and intensify the cooperation of women within the mentioned institutions and organisations, as well as to establish new sustainable partnerships. Thus, the importance of team

The activity was organised by the Ministry of Internal Affairs in partnership with the project „EU High Level Advisers’ Mission”, funded by the European Union.

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During the event, participants discussed security issues, as well as increasing the legislative, administrative and operational capacities of the Republic of Moldova to prevent risks in the context of security threats in the region.

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Training Course on Costing of Public Investment Projects organised with the EU support The PPF Project* team delivered a training course on Costing of Public Investment Projects to participants from Moldelectrica state enterprise, National Agency for Energy Regulation (ANRE), Energy Efficiency Agency and the Moldova Energy Projects Implementation Unit (MEPIU) on 12-14 April 2022.

The course aimed at improving the participants’ ability to cost capital investment projects. It was structured in 6 modules: Cost classifications, terms and concepts, Marginal and absorption costing, Standard costing, Variance analysis, Relevant costs for decision making and Costing for capital project.

* PPF Project – EU funded project Support the Moldovan Government in Identifying and Preparing Projects Linked to the Implementation of the Association Agreement.

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Implementation of the Republic of Moldova – EU Authorized Economic Operators Mutual Recognition programme, getting closer The representatives of the Customs Service, on a validation visit in Germany On 3-5 May 2022, the delegation of the Customs Service of the Republic of Moldova, led by Deputy Director Lidia Ababii, visited Augsburg, Germany to validate the German Authorized Economic Operators (AEO) Programme in the context of implementing the Programme on Mutual Recognition of Authorized Economic Operators between the Republic of Moldova

For three days, the delegation of the Customs Service of the Republic of Moldova got acquainted with the organizational structure of the AEO programme in Germany, the methodology of risk analysis and the application, authorization and monitoring processes. Working visits were also carried out to two companies’ holders of AEO status in Germany.

This activity is part of the series of working visits set up in the action plan for the implementation of the AEO Mutual Recognition Programme (Romania: 22-24 February 2022, Germany: 3-5 May 2022), a priority that derives from the commitments assumed according to the Association Agreement.

The European Union provided support to the

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and the European Union. Together with the AEO expert from the Directorate-General for Taxation and Customs Union (DG TAXUD) of the European Commission, the expert from the Romanian customs administration, as well as the EU High Level Adviser on customs and tax policy, the functioning of the AEO programme in Germany was evaluated in terms of its operational compatibility with the standards applied in the Republic of Moldova, in view of mutual recognition.

Customs Service of the Republic of Moldova in developing a complex data exchange system for the mutual recognition of authorized economic operators between the Republic of Moldova and the European Union. The new AEO data exchange system is the first connection system between the customs authorities of the Republic of Moldova and the EU Member States, thus paving the way for future cooperation instruments between partners.

The conclusion of the Agreement on the Mutual Recognition of AEO Programs between the Republic of Moldova and the Member States of the European Union will provide certain mutual benefits to economic agents, including priority border crossings - a special band for AEO holders and a reduced number of controls.

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EU supports the Republic of Moldova in the European integration process On 16 May 2022, the EU funded project “Support for structured policy dialogue, coordination of the implementation of the Association Agreement and enhancement of the legal approximation process” organised a roundtable discussion between Members of the Parliament (MPs) of the Republic of Moldova, Parliament staff and EU experts. The workshop focused on the role of Parliament in the implementation of EU policies and EU acquis relevant to the association process. This event was organised within the framework of the support provided by the project for the coordination of the implementation of the Association Agreement.

The Republic of Moldova officially applied for membership in the European Union on 3 March 2022. This step marks a significant change in Moldova-EU relations as Moldova also has formally entered the EU accession process. This change in relations will have a significant effect on the EU requirements for Moldova and on Moldova’s approach to the European Union. Subsequently the application of the Republic of Moldova for EU membership continues to require a series of fast changes, requiring a considerable involvement of the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova.

Jānis Mažeiks, Ambassador of the European Union to the Republic of Moldova, emphasised in his welcoming remarks, that the European Union is standing by the Republic of Moldova in its aspirations to join the European Union and reaffirmed the EU support on its European pathway.

Mihail Popșoi, Deputy Speaker of the Parliament of Moldova highlighted the importance of enhancing cooperation with EU partners in persuading them of the need to grant candidate country status to Moldova and the important role of the EU-Moldova Parliamentary Association Committee in this sense. He also underlined the importance of parliamentary outreach to the citizens on explaining the benefits of European Union integration.

Mr. Oliver Mader, Project Manager, further emphasised the need to streamline the national institutional and legal frameworks to accelerate Moldova’s integration with the European Union.

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Mr. Primož Vehar, Project Team Leader, moderated the discussion and shared the experiences of Slovenia during its European integration process. Mr. Péter Sárdi, Director for Foreign Relations and Mr. Krisztián Kovács, Head of the EU Department, both from the Hungarian National Assembly, presented the main characteristics of EU policies and their linkage to the EU legal approximation process. The experts pointed out the importance of the Parliament to fully use the available law-making and oversight tools to scrutinize the Government’s activities in EU matters.

More specifically, the experts described the EU policy areas and related EU acquis chapters in agriculture, business environment and sustainable development areas. Moreover, the Parliament was guided on how to continue updating its legislative process and administrative framework in order to ensure that national legislation complies with the EU norms. In addition, the experts explained in thorough details the differences between the association phase and the candidate country phase of European integration as well as the further steps after the application of the Republic of Moldova for EU membership.

The roundtable discussion was organised as part of a series of events coordinated with the Parliament for 2022 and 2023 aiming at strengthening the capacities of legislature on EUrelated matters.

The EU-funded project “Support for structured policy dialogue, coordination of the implementation of the Association Agreement and enhancement of the legal approximation process in the Republic of Moldova” aims at increasing the capacities of the Government of the Republic of Moldova and other key national institutions in implementing the EU-Republic of Moldova Association Agreement. The project’s work is arranged into 4 components contributing to the further enhancement of structured

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policy dialogue with civil society, improving policy development mechanisms for adequate budgeting of strategic documents, supporting the legal approximation process by providing technical expertise and capacity building as well as upgrading the IT systems in public administration supporting the implementation of the Association Agreement. The project is implemented by a consortium led by DAI – Human Dynamics for a five-year implementation period.

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Ministry of Environment staff learned EU best practices in waste management and ‘Waste to energy’ concept during a study visit to Lithuania A delegation of the Ministry of Environment, together with the EU High-Level Adviser on Green Transition, Justina Grigaravičienė, paid a study visit to Lithuania on 16-20 May 2022, to get acquainted with EU Member States’ best practices in waste management in line with EU environmental standards.

The Ministers of Environment of the Republic of Moldova and of the Republic of Lithuania, Iuliana Cantaragiu and Simonas Gentvilas, discussed the EU’s environmental agenda, challenges, and opportunities to tackle climate change and other important environmental issues, collaboration, and exchange of best practices between countries to support Moldova in meeting its commitments under the Association Agreement.

The Moldovan delegation got acquainted with the Lithuanian deposit system for beverage packaging, which is considered one of the best in the European Union, helping Lithuania to have the highest beverage packaging waste collection rate in the EU – over 90 percent.

During the study visit, the delegation also visited the Regional Municipal Waste Management Centre in Alytus District to familiarize with the management practices.

The Republic of Moldova intends to develop a regional municipal waste management system.

Another spot was the municipal waste coincineration plant, one of the newest in the European Union, as well as a hazardous waste co-incineration plant and a hazardous waste landfill. It allowed the Moldovan delegation to explore the „waste to energy” practice

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and the hazardous waste management system. The functioning and practice of the implementation of extended producer responsibility schemes and the treatment of the electronic and electric equipment waste were also on the agenda of the study visit.

The delegation of the Republic of Moldova also met with a team of experts from the Ministry of Environment of the Republic of Lithuania and exchanged experience on the transposition and implementation of the relevant EU Acquis.

The study visit was organised and funded by the European Commission’s Technical Assistance and Information Exchange Instrument (TAIEX) in cooperation with the Environmental Project Management Agency of the Ministry of Environment of the Republic of Lithuania.

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Debates on the amendment of the national electoral law Promo-LEX experts have drawn up and submitted for examination more than 260 proposals to improve the national electoral law. The proposals have been debated on 25 May 2022, during the presentation of the draft Electoral Code and proposals to amend the related legislation, organised by the Central Election Commission and Promo-LEX Association.

Representatives of central authorities, political parties, civil society, Diaspora, international experts and development partners participated in the debates; they analysed and presented their views on electoral reform. The event was organised

by Promo-LEX Association within the “Advocacy for a new Electoral Code in Moldova” project, funded by the European Union.

At the opening of the event, the executive director of PromoLEX Ion Manole mentioned that the 260 proposals on the amendment of electoral legislation, drawn up by the experts, are based on the analysis of developments in electoral field in Europe, the 30-year-experience of multipartyism in the Republic of Moldova, some decisions of Constitutional Court, the provisions of which are mandatory, as well as on the findings of numerous election observation missions.

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Promo-LEX’s opinion on the recommended amendments was presented by the Association’s programme director, Nicolae Panfil, who referred to most chapters of the existing Electoral Code, including the right to vote and to be elected, electoral bodies, material provision of elections and financing of electoral campaigns, voter lists, nomination and registration of candidates, etc.

Promo-LEX experts reiterated the importance of a transparent process of public consultation, expertise and analysis of the process of modernization of electoral legislation and recommended that the authorities follow all necessary procedures.

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EU supports the development of the Moldovan National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI) The technological progress, which constantly occurs in the geo-spatial community worldwide, brings about the need for a permanent improvement of the infrastructure, human skills and competences, as well as work processes in the field. Therefore, the activity during April and May months 2022 within the EU-funded Twinning project “Improving spatial data services in the Republic of Moldova following EU standards” focused on discussing and understanding more deep processes of work with spatial data, as well as on promoting best practices adopted within the European and international geo-information society.

In this context, several missions were developed, aiming, mainly, at preparation of the information flows and data processing within Moldovan public entities that are spatial data producers and users, and sharing

of spatial data among state institutions and third parties.

First of all, several interviews took place with a view to assess the current state-ofplay as regards data production, storing and processing within several Moldovan state organisations, and Croatian and Polish experts explained the above-mentioned processes within their countries and gave the appropriate recommendations for improvement.

Secondly, expert support was provided during the ongoing development of NSDI Metadata Geoportal, which the Agency for Land Relations and Cadastre of R. Moldova (main beneficiary organisation) is currently implementing and the assistance on behalf of the Twinning experts will be ensured throughout its development.

For the topic of sharing spatial data sets and associated services, which stands for the main purpose and ultimate goal of implementing national spatial data infrastructure in the country, the Member State experts prepared two types of Technical Operational Protocols (access and exchange) for data sharing, which will be an integral part of the Multi-Agency Data Sharing Agreement. Additionally, various scenarios for data sharing rules (also called “licenses” in EU Member States) have been developed and shared with ALRC colleagues. Next steps are for ALRC to identify the best data sharing rules, which would be most appropriate for each spatial data set and service under their responsibility, as well as to encourage all other NSDI stakeholders in R. Moldova to apply this practice of licensing for their own spatial resources.

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EU further supports the Agriculture, Rural Development and Food Safety in the Republic of Moldova In April and May 2022, the Twinning Project „Further support to Agriculture, Rural Development and Food Safety in the Republic of Moldova” has been assisting MAFI during its final steps towards presenting to the public the National Strategy for Agriculture and Rural Development (NARDS 2023-2027) and the interventions. In this context, a follow up workshop was organised in April where the Twinning experts discussed with the beneficiaries the next steps in the context of ensuring an effective implementation of NARDS 2023-2027.

The “Program and interventions for NARDS 2023-2027 implementation” (incuding a draft financial plan) and an action plan which were handed over to the beneficiaries for further implementation were elaborated. The project achieved substantial results also in the process of establishing a monitoring and evaluation system with measurable indicators.

Based on the planned future interventions official EU indicators were selected and incorporated in the indicator plan and the performance-monitoring table.

In order to ensure that the agricultural and rural development information is efficiently collected, of high quality, reliable, and accessible to the relevant stakeholders, the Twinning experts have been elaborating a model which can guide the beneficiaries in the set-up process of a data system. Potential data flows are being identified and practical tools are presented to MAFI staff. Also, a manual of data management within the institution is under development.

LEADER in Moldova is an additional structural tool for implementing the agricultural strategy.

The development of local strategies is a cornerstone for accelerating this process. During these months, the beneficiaries were supported in the set-up of the LEADER administration and software requirement specifications. In the context of the latest developments of the future interventions based on the NARDS, Twinning experts prepared technical advice and will continue to ensure support on further LEADER implementation. The realized projects within this framework will ensure concrete steps to support the regional economic development and entrepreneurial sector.

The accreditation audit in AIPA according to Annex I Regulation 907/2014 was continued by the team of Polish experts through reviews of procedures and constant consultations with beneficiaries. The Action Plan with recommendations on how to deal with the institutional weaknesses provides AIPA with a solid roadmap against which the progress can be constantly checked and EU requirements implemented.

The EU Twinning Project is continuing to provide support to ANSA at central and local levels.

A training course on the certification procedures for products of animal origin for export to the

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European Union was successfully organised during 13-14 April 2022. Experts from the State Food and Veterinary Service of the Republic of Lithuania (SFVS) have shared their experience on official certification procedures carried out by the certifying officers. Practical exercises were conducted during the training and officers were trained how to fill out the certificates in the TRACES system.

Furthermore, the Twinning project closed activities regarding the inter-institutional cooperation between MAIA, AIPA and ANSA. Successful missions for strengthening the inter-institutional cooperation were organised. Lithuanian experts from SFVS and the National Paying Agency shared their experience on institutional cooperation in the country and provided recommendations for the improvement of existing interinstitutional agreements between ANSA, AIPA and MAIA for a better strategic planning and reporting on veterinary, food safety and quality, organic and marketing standards.

These improvements will ensure a more

effective, transparent and goal oriented agricultural subsidy system as well as animal welfare and health, food safety requirements implementation according to the EU best practices. Beneficiary institutions got involved very actively in the discussions on the simplification of direct payments system for animals; inter-institutional data sharing process; control of agricultural subsidies. As a result, beneficiaries concluded that better coordination in the area of granting subsidies and establishing a subsidy control is needed and it can be achieved only through a closer cooperation between the three institutions.

For economic reasons, the collaboration and interaction between institutions is important in order to avoid overlapping of duties. Mr. Radu Musteata, Director General, ANSA, noted that a very important point is the implementation of requirements at farm and processing establishment level. Sharing control data and functions of each institution could be a point of future collaboration between MAIA, AIPA and ANSA in order to avoid duplicated or missed controls.

The activities on vegetable oils and trans fats in food were included in the Twinning Project as well. Coronary heart disease is the leading cause of death in the Union and a high intake of trans fats seriously increases the risk of heart disease, more than any other nutrient on a per calorie basis. Establishing a legal limit for industrial trans fats in food appears to be the most

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effective measure in terms of public health, consumer protection and compatibility with the internal market. Therefore, the Twinning team invited Lithuanian experts of SFVS to share their experience on legislation and official control.

There are established limits of trans fats in food in the EU legislation. A workshop was organised to educate the specialists on the impact on human health, to find common approach for establishing limits in the country, to share experiences on monitoring data in the foodstuffs placed on the market.

More than 100 participants joined this workshop online, including specialists from the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry, Ministry of Health, ANSA at central and local levels (territorial subdivisions).

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It is worth mentioning that Lithuania established a national trans-fat limit in food before the EU approval. It was noted that a transitional period should be foreseen for business to adjust recipes, technologies, labelling for the implementation of limits by FBO and importers.

Currently, discussions on the limits of trans fats in foodstuffs are held in the Republic of Moldova as well. The Republican Centre of Veterinary Diagnostic stated that they are ready to carry out laboratory tests based on the accredited method. In this context, ANSA has plans to perform the monitoring of trans fats in foodstuffs on the local market of Moldova.

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ECONOMY AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT European Union supports entrepreneurs from both banks of the Nistru river

The European Union provided over 420,000 EUR to support competitive businesses on both banks of the Nistru river, within the European Union “Confidence Building Measures” programme, implemented by UNDP Moldova. A grants-awarding ceremony for two competitions conducted within the programme (“Mentoring in business – Start for the youth” and “Creating synergies for competitive business communities from both banks of the Nistru river”) took place on 18 May 2022.

Altogether

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13

young

people

selected

among 98 participants of the competition “Mentoring in business – Start for the youth” will benefit from grants of up to 15,000 EUR for starting or further developing their businesses. In addition to financial assistance, entrepreneurs will benefit from advice in the process of setting up or expanding their entrepreneurial activity.

Supported businesses include production of artisanal cheese, eco wooden toys, a packaging line for dried fruits, biscuits, modernisation of equipment for producing apple vinegar etc.

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The grant competition “Mentoring in business – Start for the youth” is at its fifth edition. Thanks to the grants offered by the EU in the framework of this competition, 57 new companies were created, and more than 300 jobs were generated on the left bank of the Nistru river and in the security zone.

“By supporting these business initiatives, we support new jobs creation, higher incomes, innovation, with positive impact on livelihoods in both banks of the river Nistru. Although the awarded proposals are addressing very different business environments, the winning ideas have in common a desire to work together in complementarity and exploit the win-win potential that underpins the cooperation across the riverbanks, which is the core of the European Union support to Confidence Building,” said Jānis Mažeiks, Ambassador of the European Union to the Republic of Moldova.

Moreover, on 18 May, grant certificates were awarded to the winners of the competition “Creating synergies for competitive business communities from both banks of the Nistru river”, conducted within the framework of the European Union “Confidence Building Measures” programme, implemented by UNDP Moldova. Six projects will be supported with 40,000 EUR each, aiming to enhance cooperation of entrepreneurs on both banks of the Nistru river.

Planned activities include boosting digitalisation and automation of administrative processes, development of digital skills for entrepreneurs in creative industries, tourism development, cooperation of beekeepers from both banks of the Nistru river.

“We are looking forward to seeing the products and services you will be developing and to meet people who will be onboarded on the jobs created. This is to also invite you to become users and beneficiaries of the research, development and digitalization activities that will be conducted by business support organisations through their grants,” noted Dima Al-Khatib, UNDP Resident Representative to the Republic of Moldova, at the grantsawarding ceremony.

The European Union “Confidence Building Measures” programme has so far supported the development of business support associations and organisations in four areas: i) beekeeping and honey production; ii) cultivation of medicinal and aromatic plants; cultivation of new varieties of stone fruit with export potential; iii) regional tourism, creative industries; iv) e-commerce, through development of local online markets or integration of local micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) on both banks into the European Enterprise Network (EEN) for export promotion opportunities and international business exchanges.

The “Confidence Building Measures” programme, funded by the European Union and implemented by the UNDP, contributes to building trust between residents on both banks of the Nistru river, by involving them in joint development projects.

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EU4Youth: social entrepreneurship, close to the needs of refugees from Ukraine

CONTACT Centre, together with local partners AXA Management Consulting and Eco-Răzeni, launched an Information Campaign „Social Entrepreneurship, close to the needs of refugees”.

The campaign is being carried out in the framework of the project EU4Youth – Unlocking the potential of young social entrepreneurs in Moldova and Ukraine” (EUnlocking), funded by the European Union through the EU4Youth Programme.

Through this Campaign, the organisers aim to promote the role and involvement of social businesses and social entrepreneurs in supporting Ukrainian refugees. „Social entrepreneurs stand by the needs of refugees” is the message of the Campaign, which aims to raise awareness, enhance social economy and support social entrepreneurs in times of humanitarian crisis.

Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, more than 300,000 Ukrainian refugees have entered the Republic of Moldova, including 136,727 minors. In order to provide support and help to refugees, several social entrepreneurs have joined forces and provided food, accommodation, educational activities, health services, etc.

Sergiu Gurau, founder of the social enterprise „Floare de Cireș” (“Cherry blossom”), supported the Ukrainian refugees since the beginning of the war. „Since the end of February, several refugee centres have been calling us, asking if we can get involved and provide food for Ukrainian refugees. We couldn’t refuse because this is the mission of a social business, to be with the needs of the people and to contribute to solving social problems. During this period, we prepared and delivered about 13400 meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner) to 11 refugee centres in Ialoveni district and Chisinau municipality”.

The campaign will run for two months, and its materials and events can be followed on the „Social Entrepreneurs Network of Moldova” Facebook group or on the organisers’ pages.

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EU4Youth: „We can solve the problems of our community!” – young people from Ștefan Vodă about social entrepreneurship

Cristina, Daniel and Ion are just three of the young people from Ștefan Vodă who discovered more about social entrepreneurship during a discussion workshop on this topic. Daniel would open in the future a business in ecology and education and Cristina would prefer clothing design. What is certain is that all three of them understand that through this type of business they can help their community. During the workshop, the young people also learned the stories of social businesses in Moldova.

Students from the local vocational school and a small group of local high school students participated in the discussion workshop. Young people had an open dialogue about the problems their community is facing and how social entrepreneurship can help solve them, during a round table event.

The discussion club was organised as part of an information campaign dedicated to social entrepreneurship. The information campaign was launched at the beginning of April and is now in its final stages.

Throughout this period, the organisers have been conducting working visits to social entrepreneurs in the Republic of Moldova to see how social enterprises are involved in helping refugees and other vulnerable

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groups, organising debate shows on social entrepreneurship and much more. All this – to raise awareness and promote the concept of social entrepreneurship, which is a business that makes a profit but uses its resources to solve a problem in the community. In fact, for two months social entrepreneurs from Moldova have been close to the needs of refugees in Ukraine.

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„We have high hopes for the younger generation, who are more creative, innovative and want to contribute to the development of a community. Because of their enormous potential, they will be among the first to develop this type of business, and we as mentors can only share the lessons we have learned – the knowledge we have gained, how we have identified new partnerships, how we have accessed additional funding and how we have developed relationships with clients”, said Sergiu Gurau, social entrepreneur and facilitator of the youth discussion club.

In the Republic of Moldova there are about 50 social entrepreneurship initiatives, 11 of which are officially registered as social businesses. The others, even if they do not have this status, can be called so too, as they are guided by the same values. „Credem Eco” and „ Floare de Cireș” are just two examples of successful businesses in our country that have been active for about 10 years.

Daniel Caraion is 18 years old and told us that the workshop helped him learn that social entrepreneurship can help solve problems in his community. „The topics discussed in this event are very important especially for young people who want to apply for a grant and contribute to the prosperity of the regional economy through such an activity.

We knew about the importance of social entrepreneurship, but we learned a lot of information from the mentors of the project, who have a lot of experience in this field and gave us a lot of useful data. I’m thinking that in the future, after completing my studies, I will open a social business to help solve some of the problems in the community. I will most likely work in the field of ecology and education”, the young man told us.

Cristina Muntean, who is 18 years old, also believes that social entrepreneurship can have a major impact on society. „It can help young people with disabilities to fit into the community. The topics covered in the discussions brought out important examples. Previously we had heard about social entrepreneurship, we knew it was a type of entrepreneurship that had reference to the community, but today we learned much more details. I think social entrepreneurship would interest me in the future, I could develop such a business in the field of clothing design.”

The discussion club was organised as part of the information Campaign „Social Entrepreneurship, close to the needs of refugees”. The campaign is part of the project EU4Youth - Unlocking the potential of young social entrepreneurs in Moldova and Ukraine” (EUnlocking), funded by the European Union through the EU4Youth Programme.

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The project is implemented by Gustav-Stresemann-Institut (GSI) from Germany, Pro NGO! (Germany), AXA Management Consulting (Moldova), ECO-RAZENI (Moldova), CONTACT Centre (Moldova) and Egalite International (Ukraine).

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EU4Youth: discussion club with youth from Călărași on the benefits of developing social businesses in Moldova

One of society’s major problems is the lack of jobs for people from vulnerable backgrounds and for those with special needs – is the conclusion of another discussion workshop with young people on social entrepreneurship. Discussions were held with youth from Călărași, who have learned about the role and purpose of social entrepreneurship in a community. They learned about the differences between traditional and social businesses, discovering how the latter can contribute to the well-being of society and of the people around them.

The young people also learned how they can benefit from the services of a social business, discovered success stories of social entrepreneurs in Moldova, discussed among themselves and offered their own definitions of what it means to be a good businessman, who can make a profit, but also get involved in solving problems of the community.

Andriana Chimingir, one of the participants, mentioned that the discussion was interesting for her, as she did not know what a social business meant. „It’s an important topic because many young people don’t know about it. Now that I know about it, I would like to have a social business myself so that I can help others, like Credem Eco did, for example. It’s nice to know that there are entrepreneurs out there who also think about others.”

During this discussion workshop, young people learned how social entrepreneurs have managed to help Ukrainian refugees, how their ideas can help society, how they can contribute to the community – all in a warm and friendly environment. „We hope that the young people who participated in this discussion today will learn a lot of useful information. We always encourage them to be receptive, so we encourage them to get involved in this type of entrepreneurship as well. We are glad that we were chosen to host this event, as our beneficiaries are people who really need to know these things, which are useful for them”, said Rodica Stratan, director of the „Desire” Association in Calarasi.

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Gheorghe Batcu, another young participant in the discussions in Calarasi, explained that it is harder for people with disabilities to get a job, which is why social businesses are important for our country. „I knew how you can open a traditional business, but I learned about this kind of entrepreneurship today. I had the opportunity to learn about social entrepreneurs in Moldova and the services they provide”, said the young man.

Andrei also believes that one of the biggest problems is the lack of job opportunities for people with disabilities. „I would like to have a business like this in the future, but I know you have to work hard to open one.”

The discussion club was organised as part of the information campaign „Social Entrepreneurship, close to the needs of refugees”. The campaign is part of the project EU4Youth - Unlocking the potential of young social entrepreneurs in Moldova and Ukraine” (EUnlocking), funded by the European Union through the EU4Youth Programme.

The project is implemented by Gustav-Stresemann-Institut (GSI) from Germany, Pro NGO! (Germany), AXA Management Consulting (Moldova), ECO-RAZENI (Moldova), CONTACT Centre (Moldova) and Egalite International (Ukraine).

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230 people with special needs will be assisted to find a job with EU project support

Ten NGOs from the Republic of Moldova have joined forces to help people with special needs find employment. They have created consortia at regional level, with the support of the European Union and Sweden, in the framework of the project „Local civil society contributes to the inclusive and sustainable economic development of the country”, implemented by the East Europe Foundation. NGOs aim to employ at least 230 people with special needs within two years. On 18 May 2022, 10 NGOs signed grant contracts with the East Europe Foundation.

With the support of the EU and Sweden, the „Motivation” Association from Moldova is implementing the „Together for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities at Work” project. „We aim to empower civil society organisations that defend the rights of people with special needs to provide assisted employment services. We will train at least 20 specialists from NGOs and we will also apply mentoring programmes”, pointed out Ludmila Iachim, the executive director of the association.

And the NGO „TODAY” aims to employ people with disabilities by creating local and regional partnerships.

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„We will create two laboratories for socio-professional inclusion in Cahul and Cantemir, which will later be taken over by the Employment Offices of the two regions”, noted Tatiana Seredenco, the executive director of the association.

European aid has also reached the left bank of the Nistru, where the Public Association „Ot ravnogo k ravnomu” aims to develop a personal assistance service.

The president of the NGO, Eugen Verbanov, mentioned that “A.O. „Peer to Peer” was founded to help the families of children with severe disabilities. In the Transnistrian region this service is underdeveloped, unlike the right bank of the river. A personal assistant is like a saviour for the families of children with disabilities, who live their drama alone and without help”.

The „PRO CIMIȘLIA” association managed to create a consortium with two other NGOs to increase the well-being of the communities in six rural localities of Cimișlia, Sângerei and Leova districts. „We want to reach the most vulnerable people in villages far from the district centres, with limited access to information. We will contribute to combining the efforts of the service providers, such as the Employment Directorates, the representatives of the LPAs, by creating an efficient mechanism for providing inclusive innovative services”, said Natalia Răileanu, president of the organisation.

The Centre for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities wants to address the issue of employing people with special needs in a multidimensional way.

„We will analyse and evaluate how accessible, including physically, the National Employment Agency and its territorial offices are. We will come up with recommendations regarding the services they provide. People with disabilities will participate in the research, in order to be able to express their point of view”, underlined Iuliana Bulicanu, the project coordinator.

The SHARE project, implemented by the Association „Regional Centre for Community Policies”, is addressed to persons released from detention. „Our goal is to integrate former detainees into the labor force. People with a criminal past have the right to a second chance, the right to a decent future, the right to be respected and treated equally”, highlighted the executive director of the centre, Alexandr Kurașov.

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The project „Local civil society contributes to the inclusive and sustainable economic development of the country” is funded by the European Union and co-financed by Sweden, implemented by the East Europe Foundation in partnership with the European Business Association and the Contact Centre.

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With EU support, a modern soil testing laboratory will operate in Ungheni

“Organic fertilizers are a lifesaver for degraded and chemically polluted soils, as they remediate and restore the humus layer, increase resistance to draught, improve the quality of harvest, stimulate the plants’ growth and development,” explained Nicolae Alcaz, who has been producing organic fertilizers in Ungheni, for almost ten years.

In 2021, Nicolae received a grant of 30,000 EUR from the European Union, within the “EU4Moldova: Focal Regions” Programme, implemented by UNDP and UNICEF. With these funds, Nicolae builds a high-performance modern laboratory for soil analysis.

Thus, he will be able to produce fertilizers in larger quantities and in better conditions. At the same time, the investment will generate six new jobs, two of which are highly qualified, for laboratorians in agricultural chemistry.

“The laboratory will have equipment that will establish the micro- and macro-elements of the soil, as well as the organic matter of the solutions transmitted for testing,” noted Nicolae.

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From the EU grant, Nicolae purchased laboratory equipment: for the measurement of pH, ions and photo-metric system, stainless steel reactor for fermentation, digital devices. All these make possible soil’s analyses. Soil composition will be established, based on it, solutions for fertilizing the land will be crafted.

Organic fertilizers, a safety belt for degraded soils Thus, organic fertilizers are a safety belt for degraded land. “By using chemical fertilizers, 1 mm of humus is washed away every year, while by using organic fertilizers, 1 mm of humus is being added every year,” emphasized Nicolae.

If before his activity was seasonal, with the launch of the laboratory, it will be extended throughout the year. „Biostim” organic fertilizers, developed by Nicolae, are adapted for: fruitful tree and shrubs, vine, vegetables and beans, cereals, oleaginous and technical crops, non-flowering decorative shrubs and lawn and decorative grass.

However, some farmers are still resistant, and it is difficult to convince them that organic fertilizers are a long-term solution, that they are efficient and necessary to restore the soil’s quality.

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“Unfortunately, some farmers are sceptical towards new products, especially towards those made in the Republic of Moldova. Many of them prefer chemical fertilizers as they give an immediate effect, but in the long run the organic fertilizers are beneficial for the soil,” noted Nicolae Alcaz.

However, the entrepreneur has more and more loyal customers, who have tested and been convinced of the positive effect of organic fertilizers. His products are now used by farmers in the south of the country, but also in the north.

For now, Nicolae Alcaz sells his merchandise only on the local market, working directly with farmers and distributors. The entrepreneur plans to start soon exports to the EU. „For five years we were undergoing tests in many laboratories and scientific centres of Romania and at the end of 2021, we obtained the export permit. Now we are identifying distributors and in autumn we plan to make the first export attempt. Our intention is to reach the Romanian market segment and them we are looking towards the Bulgarian one,” pointed out Nicolae Alcaz.

The company of Nicolae Alcaz is one of the 26 beneficiaries of the grants programme for the business sector from the focal regions of Ungheni and Cahul, 2020 edition. 15 existing companies, 10 start-ups and one initiative of social entrepreneurship had benefited from grants in the amount of 15,000 – 30,000 EUR each.

The total amount of the grants offered for the business sector from Cahul and Ungheni regions in the period 2020-2024 within the programme is of approximately 1.7 million EUR. *** “EU4Moldova: Focal Regions” Programme (2019-2024) supports intelligent, ecological, inclusive and sustainable social-economic development in the regions of Cahul and Ungheni, to provide to the citizens a better quality of life, the programme has a total budget of 23 million EUR, it is funded by the European Union and implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

More details about the Programme’s activities in Cahul and Ungheni regions are available at www.eu4cahul.md and www.eu4ungheni.md.

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The National LEADER Programme enables Local Action Groups to access National Funds for Rural Development On 23 May 2022, the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry (MAFI) has launched the LEADER Program, which will contribute to the efficient and long-lasting development of the Moldovan rural areas. The Programme enables Local Action Groups (LAGs) from all over the country to access up to 5% of the National Fund for the Development of Agriculture and Rural Environment. As such, the Republic of Moldova has become the first and, for the time being, the only country in the non-EU space that implements the LEADER approach as a public policy tool for rural development.

As part of the pilot edition of the Programme, MAFI launched a call for applications, encouraging LAGs to send their Local

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Development Strategies for financial support. The call is open until 30 June 2022.

To provide more information about the benefits of the Program and address LAGs’ questions regarding the application process, the National LEADER Network in the Republic of Moldova (NLN) in partnership with MAFI are conducting a series of informative sessions during the Regional Forums that are taking place in the northern, central and southern regions of the country during the end of May – mid June 2022. During the informative sessions, MAFI representatives address questions about the application and selection process, access to subsidies, and the monitoring process of the financial support measures.

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The LEADER Programme was launched following the design of the institutional framework for the implementation of the LEADER approach, supported by SFPL in Moldova and NLN within the “EU4Moldova: Local Communities Development (LEADER)” project. The strategic partners of the project are the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry of the Republic of Moldova, the Agency for Intervention and Payments in Agriculture and the National LEADER Network in the Republic of Moldova. The LEADER approach contributes to the sustainable improvement of the living conditions and inclusive economic growth in Moldovan rural areas. Now, there are 47 LAGs all over the country, which implement more than 850 local projects and gather 438 administrative-territorial units.

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The LEADER Programme is supported within the “EU4Moldova: Local Communities” programme, financed by the European Union, the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the Austrian Development Cooperation (ADC) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland – Polish aid; and jointly implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, the Austrian Development Agency (ADA) and the Solidarity Fund PL (SFPL) in Moldova.

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Cahul Business Summit, organised with the EU and Team Europe support: financing opportunities, digital transformation and tourism potential in the southern region The potential for economic development of the Cahul region was discussed by the guests of the „Cahul Business Summit”! The event brought together government officials, national experts, entrepreneurs, private sector representatives and all those interested in the economic and digital development of the region. The forum was organised by the City Hall of Cahul, with the support of the EU4Moldova project: Startup City Cahul, implemented by ATIC, with the financial assistance of the European Union, in partnership with Sweden.

At the investment session, the value chain and developing clusters in the Cahul region were analysed, as well as the tech and innovation potential for the Southern part of the country. The favourable geographical location of the Cahul region offers more development prospects for southern Moldova, which currently generates 7% of the country’s GDP. This indicator is constituted by the potential of the key areas of the region, of which agriculture has a share of 23%, transport represents 7%, tourism - 6%, and IT field - 2%. In support of the development of the

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region, several projects are being carried out in Cahul, with the financial assistance of the European Union. One of them is „EU4Moldova: Key Regions”.

The digital impact transformation of the Cahul region has all the necessary components: advanced infrastructure, the commitment of the authorities, development partners, as well as a community ready to contribute to this goal. The digitization priorities of Cahul were presented by Stella Bădin, deputy mayor of Cahul, responsible for digitization, in a panel of the summit.

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„We want Cahul to become more than a ‚smart city’, we want it to become the digital capital of the Republic of Moldova. In this regard, we had discussions with all the important actors, who informed us about their needs and the services they provide. For several months I worked on digitizing a wide range of services, including: one-stop shops, smart street lighting, admission to pre-school institutions, and more. We aimed that, the „Smart City” platform to intelligently integrate more public services, facilitate people’s access and ensure transparency. We continue to work in this direction.”, stated Stella Badin, Deputy Mayor of Cahul.

In Cahul, the Electronic Development Agency is continuously developing several digital services that will benefit residents across the south of the country. These include: Msign, MobileSign, Your Business Office, and more.

In another panel of the event, the digital opportunities for the development of the tourism industry were discussed and the application of several digital routes with different tourist routes in the Cahul region was presented. Each of them offers representative landscapes for the South of the country: natural landscapes, boarding houses, wineries, etc. The discussions at

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the event also focused on the presentation of the VIA Cahul cluster - an instrument of economic development of the Cahul region, which aims to attract over 40 actors interested in tourism development in this region, representing tourism businesses, public authorities, institutions researchdevelopment-innovation and catalytic institutions. The specialization of the VIA Cahul Cluster is rural tourism, connected with other forms of tourism: spa and health in Cahul - and agrotourism, cultural tourism, leisure, adventure and wine tourism - in the area of the Biosphere Reserve „Prutul de Jos”, included in UNESCO heritage.

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Cahul Business Summit addresses the economic and innovative potential of the southern region of the Republic of Moldova

The most important regional event dedicated to business development in the region, „Cahul Business Summit”, took place, for the first time, in the south of the country, on 25 May. The event brought together on the same stage government officials, national experts, entrepreneurs, representatives of the private sector, but also all those interested in the economic and digital development of the region. During the discussions, the summit

guests pointed out the opportunities and ways of implementing information technologies in various fields of activity, in the context of accelerating regional economic development. „Cahul Business Summit” was organised by the City Hall of Cahul, with the support of the EU4Moldova project: Startup City Cahul, implemented by ATIC, with the financial assistance of the European Union, in partnership with Sweden.

“Cahul is truly becoming the capital of the Southern region, and today’s event confirms this fact.

We want the South of the country to develop even more, and with the help of international partners, the central authorities, we want to facilitate policies in this area, so that the regions develop harmoniously and the business sector is not just concentrated in the capital. At this stage, regional development is essential for us, and we want to simplify tax regimes as well, to facilitate production processes.”, stated Sergiu Gaibu, Minister of Economy.

„The Business Summit is the event that shows us how the power of technology can bring benefits to the public sector, the private sector and progress in our daily lives. The European Union supports the development of the region’s digital potential by supporting Startup City Cahul and other regional projects. We believe that technologies will give people more competitive jobs, better health and innovative public services. Our location here is a chance to connect all smart people, all communities, to strengthen the potential of the digital economy, develop the ICT workforce, create innovationbased businesses. Achieving these goals in Cahul will greatly enhance the competitiveness and attractiveness of the region and will bring multiple benefits to the people living in this wonderful area.”, declared Boris Filipov, Project Manager, EU Delegation to the Republic of Moldova.

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„Today’s event addresses important topics such as: investments, human resources, tourism potential, digitalization, and highlights the challenges and the possibilities to solve them. In my view, the biggest investment is the investment in education, in people, and this must become a priority for the whole society. I also want to note that partnerships between institutions are vital for the southern region and we believe that today, together with donor institutions, central authorities, the business community and all participants we will identify projects that need to be implemented.”, added Nicolae Dandiș, Mayor of Cahul. „Cahul Business Summit” discussed the digital transformation of the southern region of the country, focusing on the innovative tools that need to be implemented for economic development, the regional portfolio and opportunities, the demands of the labour market, the needs of entrepreneurs, the skills required for future specialists, as well as the most requested educational offers in the tech field.

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The EIB financed Fruit Garden of Moldova credit line contributes to the capacity building of the Republic of Moldova’s agricultural sector The Technical Assistance to the Fruit Garden of Moldova project organised 3 internships of Moldovan staff of agricultural education and research in Romania, Israel and Germany The EIB financed Fruit Garden of Moldova credit line has supported public Moldovan investments into horticultural education and research for around 12 million EUR. Laboratories were equipped, machinery training halls built and college orchards established to name just a few examples.

After successful completion of procurement and construction, however, the job is not done. The central challenge is now for the supported institutions to make best use of the new infrastructure with methods which are now common in countries of the West.

Will study tours or foreign consultants help the Moldovan staff to acquire those skills?

The Technical Assistance rather decided to build capacity through internships of key Moldovan personnel of the supported institutions at similar institutions in countries of the Western hemisphere.

The Technical University of Moldova got its laboratories equipped with new machines for chromatography and mass spectrometry with the help of Fruit Garden of Moldova.

They allow for accurate food analysis. Such machines cost several ten thousand of EUR. In May, 2022, three staff of TUM (two professors and a lab assistant) got the chance to make a 1-week internship at the University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca in Romania which has been using such machines for years.

Being welcomed by the Romanian research staff of the university, the three Moldovans were able to study a number of different protocols and methods for various kinds of analysis. “This has helped us to save at least 6 months of experimenting with our new machines”, says Dr Artur Macari, Associate Professor at TUM.

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In addition, with the assistance of the EU funded Technical Assistance project, young technical staff of the viticulture virology laboratory of the Moldovan Horticulture Institute ISPHTA, which is also a Fruit Garden of Moldova beneficiary, are spending one month in Israel in order to learn how Israeli scientists at the Volcani Institute are detecting different viruses of wine and table grapes.

Teaching staff of the Agricultural University ASUM and the Agricultural College in Soroca are accompanying German teachers of the vocational agricultural machinery training institute DEULA Nienburg for two weeks to practice modern, competency-based and practical teaching methods as they are practiced in Germany. Such internships have proved to build personal capacities.

Moreover, they also provide a foundation for further collaboration between Moldovan institutions and those from the West.

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ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT Earth Day 2022: greening the industrial sector with EU4Environment Green Economy support Each year on 22 April, over one billion individuals from 190 countries mobilize to support and raise awareness of the state, as well as the future of Planet Earth.

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Since its first celebration in 1970 when it was founded as a day of education on environmental issues, Earth Day has become a global movement, sparking great esteem and commitment across individuals, international organisations, businesses, and governments alike. Moreover, in recent years, the movement gained important traction, particularly thanks to new digital tools, cross-country initiatives, and wider visibility of success stories and projects that unite regions under one common scope.

Such initiatives, be they individual or collective, grand or small, not only help reduce pollution and reach the global goals of the EU 2050 strategy on Net-Zero emissions, among others; they also educate the public and create a new generation of active and responsible citizens, workers, and leaders in the mitigation of climate change. This is the example of several Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) from the Eastern Partner (EaP) region of the European Union, which with EU4Environment support become symbolic ambassadors for the promotion of Resource Efficient and Cleaner Production (RECP).

Making use of the RECP methodology available either on an individual basis (through the training of national experts and the assessment of industrial enterprises) or in clusters of companies (residing in

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the same Industrial Parks or specifically organised as RECP Clubs), representatives of various manufacturing enterprises and professionals learn to embrace cleaner production and means to improve their resource efficiency. As a multiplier effect, RECP reduces costs, waste, and pollution, while improving general production, the working environment of employees, and increasing overall competitiveness.

By continuously investing in resource efficiency, SMEs are taking actions to reduce their resource and environmental footprint, right from the source. They are also revising their production in a holistic manner and are showing that it is not only possible to use fewer resources and generate less waste – but it is the smart thing to do.

On Earth Day and not only, the Planet is asking for bold, innovative and sustainable actions which include governments, businesses, and citizens alike. More vigorous partnerships are needed, as well as initiatives like industrial symbiosis to promote Circular Economy across manufacturers and enterprises. Thus, new combined actions and information can be generated to remove barriers and increase awareness of the value industries allocate to raw materials, production, and wastes; because Earth Day is not only a day of celebration, but a dedicated movement which will last in the long-term.

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People from Ștefan Vodă are better prepared for protecting their regional environment

In May, 18 people from Stefan Vodă region, interested in environmental protection, took part in a training dedicated to human rights defenders (HRDs) on environmental issues.

The group of participants was diverse, consisting of representatives of environmental NGOs, volunteers from the Environmental Protection Inspectorate and young people concerned about environmental protection.

Source: ec.europa.eu A specific feature of the event was the application of HRDs legislation, presentation of practices and examples representative of Ștefan Vod district. As several localities in Stefan Vodă region are part of a protected area, basic knowledge on the application of environmental legislation is a useful tool not only for those with some experience and for HRDs fighting for environmental protection, but also for ordinary citizens.

The motto of the training was that although in most cases the “Right to a Healthy Environment” is promoted by one person, the result is felt by an entire community.

The young participants at the end of the training came up with the suggestion to translate the specific HRDs training for environmental protection into a language

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and set of mechanisms that are easy to understand and apply so that anyone who wants to protect the environment can find the necessary information and tools quickly and, in a form, ready to be applied.

The training was organised within the project “Shields for human rights defenders – Supporting Human Rights Defenders in the Republic of Moldova”, implemented by the Legal Resources Centre from Moldova in partnership with EcoContact Association and the International Commission of Jurists – European Institutions, with the financial support of the European Union. The content presented is the sole responsibility of the Legal Resources Centre from Moldova and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the European Union.

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EU4Climate: Moldova has one of the highest greenhouse gas intensities in Europe, reported to GDP

Greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) in Moldova increased by 53% to 10 million tone CO2-EQ per year between 2000 and 2020 but are still lower than in the 1990 reference year, when they collapsed because of the economic crisis caused by the Soviet Union breakup.

At the same time, the country’s energy intensity dropped in 20 years by 40.6% to 18.32 GJ/$1,000 in 2015, and GHG emissions intensity – by 29.3%, up to 1180 kg CO2//$1,000 in 2015. However, the intensity of greenhouse gas emissions remains in Moldova one of the highest in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe.

These are some of the conclusions of the study on the integration of climate change in energy policies, developed by EU4Climate project, funded by the European Union and implemented by UNDP. A set of multi-level recommendations by EU4climate experts were developed, aimed at improving the legislation, the integration of climate indicators into the strategic planning of the energy sector, strengthening of institutional capacities, policy planning capacities among local public authorities and the role international organisations and financial institutions for climate change integration in energy policies, technology transfer and green market development.

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At the same time, a Guide for the consolidation of climate planning and energy planning processes was developed by EU4Climate experts. It proposes, among others, the definition, implementation and communication of a long-term strategic vision to support policy coherence in climate and energy areas that will survive planning cycles, ensuring policy coordination and support for climate change priorities.

With a total budget of 8.8 million Euros, the EU4Climate Project takes place in the period 20192022 and has the following components: (i) updating the Nationally Determined Contributions to the Paris Agreement; (ii) developing National Low-emission Development Strategies by 2050; (iii) the introduction and strengthening of the framework for the monitoring, reporting and verification of greenhouse gas emissions; (iv) alignment with the acquis communautaire in the field of climate; (v) integrating the climate dimension into sectoral policy documents, raising awareness and developing sectoral guidelines for the implementation of the Paris Agreement; (vi) attracting investment in climate change; (vii) better planning for adaptation to climate change.

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Europe Day 2022 in Moldova – EU4Environment Green Economy: Solidarity for peace and a cleaner environment

The Europe Day 2022 in Moldova this year brings together all EU Member States, the Government of the Republic of Moldova, the EU funded projects, NGOs and the general public in joint efforts for Solidarity for peace!

EU4Environment Green Economy adds its voice to the common actions oriented towards a green transformation of the country, for a clean and healthy environment, promotion of the circular economy, greening SMEs, Resource Efficient and Cleaner Production, eco-innovations, ecolabelling and biodiversity conservation.

By strengthening the capacities of the Governmental authorities in Moldova and daily working with major beneficiaries in the domain, EU4Environment contributes to the greener decision making, creation of new green jobs, increasing energy and resource efficiency, also measured by the OECD set of the Green Growth Indicators, adapted for the country, with lessons learned and policy recommendations.

These goals and objectives obtained results and future plans were shared with the high-level participants and visitors of the Europe Day 2022 celebration on May 14, within the European City on the central square of Chisinau.

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MAKE IT REAL! The Republic of Moldova for the fourth time joined the annual EU Green Week!

The Republic of Moldova joined the EU Green Week 2022 in the period of 30 May – 05 June 2022, with a national campaign, regional and national events, organised by EU4Environment Green Economy, the European Union in the Republic of Moldova and Europe Café, the Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration and partners

European Green Week 2022 serves as a platform at European level to highlight and share achievements and coordinate the priorities of the EU and the Republic of Moldova for a green economic transformation in harmony with the environment. The European Green Deal, Zero Pollution ambition, the transition

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to the circular economy and biodiversity conservation – the main themes of this year’s European Green Week.

The EU Green Week 2022 in Moldova focused on such priority areas as: circular economy, biodiversity conservation, zero pollution.

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EU4Environment Green Economy marked the Nistru Day 2022

Each year on the last Sunday in May, the Republic of Moldova marks the Nistru Day. The Nistru is a river that flows through Ukraine, then Moldova, before it’s finally discharged into the Black Sea.

This Nistru Day 2022 calls attention to the need of protection and conservation of water and biological resources of the Nistru and encourages people to preserve their environment. In 2022, Nistru Day was celebrated through a unique way: creation of National Park Lower Nistru.

The Ministry of Environment of the Republic of Moldova, with the support from NGOs EcoContact and BIOTICA, with finding from ADA, implemented a range of activities in frame of Ecosystem-based adaptation, climate-resilience measures, and institutional development in the Lower Nistru project that aimed at preservation of the region as well as creation of the National Park.

The aim of the Nistru Day this year was to gather main environmental protection central and local /regional authorities that will play a crucial role in management and protection of the river and national protected area to discuss further actions and steps in developing institutionally and functionally the National Park.

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RESILIENT DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION Human Rights Defenders in Moldova learned how to strengthen their digital security with EU support Digital security is as important as physical security. Personal data, banking information or personal information such as family photos or emails can be a tool for blackmailing, if they fall into the wrong hands. Among those most targeted by these threats are human rights defenders

That is why on 6 April 33 Moldovan Human Rights Defenders, representing civil society, journalists and lawyers, in a three-hour training organised by the Legal Resources Centre, learned the basic principles of for a strong digital security as well as general rules of online conduct to guard themselves as best as possible against online threats such as fake links, which appear to come from official institutions like banks or URGENT calls asking for money to be transferred to help loved ones in need.

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Among the most important principles taught were, „if it looks suspicious, then it probably is”, „a strong password is one that is easy to remember but, impossible for hackers to guess” and „two-step authentication is not a fad, it’s a necessity”.

A trick that participants were delighted to learn was the completely free method of checking if their personal emails, or any email, have been leaked, using the haveibeenpwned.com website.

Some of the participants admitted to using the same password for multiple accounts, a serious threat to their digital security, and said they had started changing their passwords to the latest standards, minimum 15 characters,

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upper- and lower-case letters, numbers and symbols, even during the training.

A few of them have also gone ahead and installed a password manager for a more rigorous and secure future digital conduct for themselves and their work.

The IT security for Human Rights Defenders training was organised within the project „Shields for human rights defenders – Supporting Human Rights Defenders in the Republic of Moldova”, implemented by the Legal Resources Centre from Moldova in partnership with EcoContact Association and the International Commission of Jurists - European Institutions, with the financial support of the European Union.

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EU4Digital: a key step to streamlining cross-border freight discussing the results of eCustoms pilot between Moldova and Romania The EU4Digital Facility last week held a post-pilot conference to discuss the results of the e-Customs pilot project on the automatic exchange of electronic customs information between the Republic of Moldova and Romania.

The conference on 7 April brought together the Romanian Customs Authority, the Moldovan Customs Authority, the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations, the EU Delegation to Moldova and the CEFTA Secretariat.

During the piloting of the SEED (Electronic Systematic Data Exchange) information system, which took place over 24 hours from 24-25 March at the Leușeni-Albita border crossing point, the participating customs

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administrations exchanged electronic data relating to 153 empty means of transport, which circulated in both directions.

The SEED solution ran smoothly and allowed for greater efficiency in crossing the border.

Data could be entered into the system by the customs authority in the country of exit and was then verified and confirmed in the country of entry. This avoided duplication of data into the system by both customs authorities. At the same time, the risk assessment process

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became more dynamic, because the data could be analysed by the customs authority of the country of entry until the arrival of the means of transport in the customs control area.

The EU4Digital eCustoms pilot project between Moldova and Romania was designed after a successful pilot between Lithuania and Belarus and based on the experience of over ten years of using the SEED application for the exchange of customs data in the Western Balkans.

Following the pilot, EU experts have now elaborated a list of recommendations on how to implement the SEED solution on a larger scale, in order to capitalise on all the benefits it can bring. These recommendations include scaling up the solution to other border crossing points, the possibility to add additional data sets for exchange and greater functionality

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of SEED and ensuring a sound legal basis for future specific exchanges of customs-related information between the EU and Eastern partner countries and others.

The systematic exchange of electronic information between the customs authorities of the Republic of Moldova and Romania might reduce the waiting time at border of trucks without goods, but in the future also those with goods. As a result, it is expected to streamline cross-border freight traffic.

The customs authorities will analyse the conclusions and recommendations regarding the possibility of implementing the solution on a larger scale, extending the use of the solution to other customs points, as well as implementing several functionalities to facilitate border crossing and ensuring its security.

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An IT academy with the financial support of the European Union and Team Europe has been opened in Cahul On 24 May 2022, the official opening of the first social enterprise funded by the European Union and co-funded by Sweden in the project „Local civil society contributes to the inclusive and sustainable development of the country” implemented by the East Europe Foundation took place.

Vibe Academy is a social enterprise that comes to offer IT and Robotics courses for children aged 5-17.

Vibe Academy aims to contribute to the development of IT skills of children and young people in Cahul district, through courses and training that prepare a working generation for current and future professions.

The academy is located on 34/29 Ștefan cel Mare Street and in addition to paid services, it will provide free education for 100 children and young people from socially vulnerable families in Cahul district.

The Vibe Academy branch in Cahul is open within the project „Development of IT skills of children and young people in Cahul district - Vibe.MD - IT Academy in Cahul”.

The Eastern European Foundation has provided grants to 10 non-governmental organisations that will develop social enterprises, which in turn will create 60 jobs for disadvantaged people, and more than 600 people will receive free services.

This project is funded by the European Union and co-funded by Sweden through the East Europe Foundation in partnership with the European Business Association and the Contact Centre under the project „Local civil society contributes to the inclusive and sustainable development of the country”.

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EU4Moldova: Startup City Cahul - more opportunities for women to get a job in IT field

The opportunity to work online provides multiple professional opportunities for women in the Republic of Moldova, especially for those living in out-of-town regions.

There are no impediments for the 30 girls and women from the Southern region of the country, who are graduates of the “ICT4Women Cahul” programme, to work on successful projects of international companies from their home office.

They got their jobs through recruitment platforms and prepared for this day for 5 months. They had several trainings in the field of IT in order to be able to work remotely, and professional mentors have guided them throughout the programme. The graduates of the course were invited to a dedicated event, where they shared their experience with the local community.

The girls and women went through four stages, took practical courses, participated in training workshops and mentoring sessions, and finally developed a CV and applied for remote jobs as freelancers. The participants studied one of the 3 courses: Social Media Management, WordPress / Tilda and Content Creation and Communication.

Olesea Susarenco, participant: “I have been fascinated by the IT field for many years, and within the project I studied social media management. I chose this course because I am currently working in a company as a photo editor, and I want to continuously advance my professional level. During this period, I learned many new things that I did not know, and this will help me in my career advancement, as well, to be more confident on my skills.”

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Mariana Sinigur, participant: “Currently, I am working in the education field, and this sector is already very related to IT. The project strengthened my skills and abilities, I managed to apply practically several things I learned during the course, and if there will be such opportunity, I will develop a career in the information technology industry, because it is an increasingly essential field in their lives. Remote work is also a convenient way to earn an income, no matter where you are.”

The aim of the initiative is to mobilize women in the Southern region of the country and to give them the opportunity to develop their IT skills, in order to benefit from financial opportunities, regardless of where they are living. In addition to professional courses, the project includes other aspects of professional development. The training programme was launched in October last year, and about 200 girls and women participated in the initial stage, 57 of them ongoing through the practical preparation stage. The „ICT4Women Cahul” programme is implemented by ATIC within the „EU4Moldova: Startup City Cahul” project, with the financial assistance of the European Union, in partnership with Sweden.

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EU4Moldova: Startup City Cahul - digital skills for community development The curiosity and interest of students in the South of the country in information technology is growing every day, and their determination to get involved in generating solutions to social problems motivates them to study IT subjects right from school. 160 students from the country put into practice their digital skills trained in extra-curricular subjects in the nominal competition „Tekwill Junior Ambassadors”, category „Programming Algorithms in C / CC+”. From the Cahul region, 6 teams of students participated in the competition, who during the year studied this discipline within the „Tekwill in Every School” programme.

During the competition, for four hours, the teams solved three problems related to human activity – daily and social, identifying the right algorithms and generating solutions for these problems.

Before participating in the competition, the students were trained by their teachers, who, for more than 2 years, have been

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discovering with them the fascinating world of informational technologies. The Tekwill Junior Ambassadors competition is in its second year and aims to develop students’ digital and creative skills and identify the best technological solutions to the challenges in the community.

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Tatiana Alexeev, ATIC manager: “The widespread introduction of ICT subjects in educational institutions in the country has inflicted a high interest among students. And through the “Tekwill Junior Ambassadors” competition, we aim to promote the digital skills already acquired by students, so that they are even more motivated to study the field further. These young people are already generating solutions for the community, and the ICT field offers them other opportunities. Informational technologies involve students in the educational process, facilitating their development, but also of the whole community.”

Students who study one of the 6 extracurricular courses within “Tekwill in Every School” were able to enter the competition. In order to participate in the competition, the young people formed teams of two students each and were guided by a teacher. Students had the opportunity to select one of the following areas: C / CC + Algorithm Programming, Graphic Design, Web Design & Development, Artificial Intelligence and Mobile Application Design and Development, Entrepreneurship.

Since the beginning of the 2021-2022 academic year, more than 30 teachers have mentored the teams and prepared them for the competition. In total, 65 teams participated in the competition. The winners of the Tekwill Junior Ambassadors enjoyed the prizes. For the first place, each member of the team will receive a laptop, for the second place – a mobile phone, and for the third place – each member of the team will win a smart watch.

The programme is implemented by ATIC within the project “EU4Moldova: Startup City Cahul”, with the financial assistance of the European Union, in partnership with Sweden.

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Nine high schools in the Southern region of the Republic of Moldova have opened their digital laboratories with the support of EU4Moldova: Startup City Cahul

Innovative, creative and fully equipped with modern digital devices - this is what looks like the Digital Laboratory located in the Theoretical High School „Alexei Mateevici” from Alexandru Ioan Cuza village, Cahul district. The high school opened the doors of the newly renovated building to host the launch event of the „Digital Laboratories” project an initiative joined by eight other institutions in the region related to the „Tekwill in Every School” programme. Within them, about 3,000 students will have the opportunity to develop their digital skills and adapt to current demands on the labour market, in order to access attractive professional opportunities at home, in the Republic of Moldova.

“The EU4Moldova: Start-up City Cahul project, part of the larger EU4Moldova: Key Regions programme, implemented in Cahul and Ungheni, supports the digital transformation of the Moldovan economy and society. The launch of digital labs, a national initiative, is a step forward for the new generation to acquire digital skills that are very necessary and essential for progress, development and prosperity. I invite students from the Cahul region and their teachers to take advantage of the new opportunities and urge other schools to join the initiative „The future is in your hands!”, declared Jānis Mažeiks, Ambassador of the European Union to the Republic of Moldova.

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“It is inspiring to see that digital learning in schools is increasingly developing here in Moldova. As a concept, digital labs are very popular in Sweden and we are sure that they will become successful locally as well. These modern technology laboratories will fully become centres of excellence in the design of thinking and innovation, where art and creativity can be combined with codes and algorithms. The practical courses will encourage young people, girls and boys, in their first interactions with the languages of programming, robotics and automation and, finally, will help them to acquire the skills necessary to succeed in their future job.”, stated Katarina Fried, Swedish Ambassador to the Republic of Moldova.

Seven of the institution’s teachers studied new subjects in the „Tekwill in Every School” programme. Here, about 160 students from the Southern part of the country are training and improving their digital skills - an absolute necessity for today’s professions, but especially for those of the future. That is why Digital Laboratories are equipped with modern digital equipment, but also well-designed spaces that stimulate logical thinking and creativity.

Tatiana Buciuceanu, director of „Alexei Mateevici” Theoretical High School from Alexandru Ioan Cuza village, Cahul district mentioned: „The digital laboratory was extremely essential in our high school with the implementation of the project” Tekwill in Every School „ information technologies. In the computer room, the equipment is not advanced enough, and the students cannot complete their projects according to the current requirements. Especially since many children do not have the necessary devices to practice at home. After the opening and supply of the digital laboratory, we have new equipment and it is much easier to carry out the classes and help the students to acquire the necessary skills for their training, but also to access the professions of the future.”

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Each laboratory within the project comprises five thematic areas: the area for teachers equipped with a desk, a large screen and an interactive blackboard; the student area is equipped with laptops, computers and webcams, printing area; the creative area has a blackboard and “fluffy” armchairs, but also a storage area.

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They ensure both the uniform unfolding of thematic courses and provide access to information technology for students who do not have a digital device at home. This year, other 8 digital laboratories will be opened in schools in the Southern region of the country.

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EUTech Display Day – show of multifunctional robots, aerodynamic racing cars and programming workshops

Cahul has become the „capital” of tech innovation for a day, on 20 May. Hundreds of children and their parents came to Independence Square for „Tech Display Day”, where they had incomparable experiences with robots, aerodynamic race cars, drones and other technologies.

The activities mark Europe Day in Cahul - EU Tech Days - and are organised on the basis of a successful partnership between Cahul City Hall, “Bogdan Petriceicu Hașdeu” State University in Cahul and EU4Moldova: Startup City Cahul, project implemented by ATIC, with financial assistance European Union, in partnership with Sweden.

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The young explorers, being fascinated by technology, enthusiastically became involved in open-air workshops. Those up to the age of six discovered mechanics using LEGO sets.

Children between the ages of seven and nine went on a „journey” to learn about outer space.

“It is very important for children to catch the technological thread from an early age. My child attends robotics and programming classes and is delighted. The generation of our children is the generation of technologies.”, mentioned Andronache Tatiana, parent.

„Given that we are heading into the age of technology, it is very good for children to bring them closer to the opportunities of the digital field.”, said Bancila Adriana, parent.

The curious 10-12-year-old children embarked on a race to programme autonomous multifunctional robots and built towers of special parts with the help of the robot and a programmed remote control. They also got to know Znap - a playful robot that simulates the behaviour of pets. The teenagers enjoyed successful experiences in the „smart lab”, where

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they discovered how drones and robots work that can move according to the emotions of the people around them. They also enjoyed the presence of a „long-awaited guest” - the Race Car - an aerodynamic race car, the speed of which they could programme or modify.

“For our children, it is very welcome to find out about the way technologies are developed. My child chose robotics. Thanks to Start-up City Cahul!”, stated Alina, parent.

“A very useful activity even for the little ones. It is welcome for them to get acquainted with the technologies of the future from an early age.”, added Olesea Vulpe, parent.

The students were enthusiastic that they could one day have a successful career in IT field, they were from colleges and vocational schools and learned about the professions of the future and the best options for choosing a career in technology. The young people also had the opportunity to participate in outdoor discussions with tech professionals and entrepreneurs and to take part in 3D printing workshops held by the Makeri Youth Club.

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EU-funded project „Edineţ – insights into tomorrow cities” provides modern equipment for green areas management and biomass collection to Edineţ municipality

On 21 May 2022, the residents of Edineț municipality had the opportunity to learn about the first achievements of the project in the first year of implementation, and namely: i) development of the first digital General Urban Plan in the country, ii) the city’s mobility plan and the plan for energy and adaptation to climate change for 2022-2030; iii) equipping the municipal enterprise of communal management of Edineț municipality with modern equipment for green areas management and biomass collection; iv) elaboration of the concept for a new intelligent public transport service, to be implemented in 2022-2023 in Edineț municipality.

At the same time, within the framework of the European Village, the ceremony of handing over the green area management equipment took place, which will help the Local Public Authorities to manage the green spaces within the municipality, will ensure the collection and composting of waste in a sustainable way. By the end of the year, with the support of the European Union, a new public transport service will be created and eight buses worth 1 million EUR will be purchased. In addition, a series of actions will be carried out to improve the quality of public lighting and the living conditions of the inhabitants.

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Over 200 young residents of Edineț participated in an interesting quiz, by scanning a QR code, they answered questions about how to pay for travel by public transport.

The project „Edineț – insights into tomorrow cities” is funded by the European Union through the Local Authorities: Partnerships for Sustainable Cities 2020 programme and is implemented

by Edineț City Hall in partnership with Alba Iulia City Hall, Romania and Smart City Council, USA.

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EdTech Moldova Forum – a platform that has connected global leaders and local community to technology

„EdTech Moldova” Forum is the most important event in the field of education in the South of the country and it was organised in Cahul on 24 May. The event provided incomparable experiences for participants in the field of education, reflecting the digitalization of the learning process and the training of specialists for the professions of the future. Coming from thousands of kilometres away, international experts shared with the guests of the event - over 500 managers of educational institutions, teachers, entrepreneurs, students - the best practices that could be implemented in our country. The „EdTech Moldova Forum” was organised by the „Tekwill in Every School” programme in the Southern region, component of „EU4Moldova: Startup City Cahul” project, implemented by ATIC, with the financial assistance of the European Union, in partnership with Sweden.

“This event demonstrates how you participate in and guide the development of education and the educational process in general. The development of teaching and learning methods is not only an evolution of current education, but also involves many opportunities for social development as a whole. This means that young people are taking over the power to influence the future, and this means better paid jobs and the creation of a society that we all want. Through the EU4Moldova project: Startup City Cahul, Sweden, in partnership with the European Union, is funding this initiative and we are extremely proud to be able to contribute to the development of innovative digital solutions and teaching methods in schools. The use of technology in the educational process provides flexibility and new perspectives, and we need it now and in the future.”, said Catarina Nilsson, Program Manager, Embassy of Sweden in the Republic of Moldova.

“In the 21st century, when we ask ourselves what is the role of education and no matter what direction we move, we realize that what we learned many years ago is changing and is constantly progressing. The professions of the future are less well known today, and informational technology is increasingly taking its place in the professions we are trying to embrace. In 2018, we aimed to create an agenda, including digital

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technologies that can be studied from school. Together with our development partners, we have tried to unify our strengths in order to provide programmes that improve and innovate schools.

Starting next year, the „Tekwill in Every School” project will be implemented in 333 schools, and in a few years, we will be able to train approximately 100,000 students to direct into IT or other related professions.”, added Ana Chirița, Director of Strategic Projects, ATIC.

The „EdTech Moldova” Forum discussed the latest trends and perspectives in the development of education in schools, with a focus on directions, methodologies and strategies for digital transformation, to teach the skills needed for innovation.

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The event highlighted how authorities and all those involved in education can influence the digital transformation of education in educational institutions through the implementation of innovative teaching-learning tools and international experience, the use of TECH devices and technologies in education and innovative training methodologies. teaching extracurricular subjects. The event also hosted a number of hands-on workshops to introduce tools and new technologies, such as: Intel Skills for Teachers, Intel 4 Youth, AR / VR, Robo Maker, Smart Lab, OECD Learning Compass. They discussed the skills of the future, how Artificial Intelligence influences future jobs, and how Moldova plans to develop students’ innovation skills.

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The concept of Digital School – presented in the EdTech Forum Moldova, organised with the EU and Team Europe support

Taking into consideration the fast progress of new technologies, the school of the future is a digital one! An educational institution in the country will go through a whole process of transformation through innovation and will implement information technologies in absolutely all aspects of development and educational management. The digital transformation strategy of a “Digital School” school was presented at the “EdTech Moldova” forum in Cahul, an event organised by the “Tekwill in Every School” project, implemented by ATIC, with the support of the European Union and Sweden.

According to the Strategy, the educational institution will go through a complex process of innovative changes, with the involvement of students, teachers, managers, parents and all those connected to the educational process. The concept will be implemented in this educational institution in the academic years 20222023. In order to create a fully digital learning environment, the process of communication and collaboration between teachers, students, parents and managers will be digitized in the school. The digital catalogue, the school website, the social channels, as well as the communication applications will also be used for the

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appreciation and communication of the performances. Only digital instruments will be used in the teaching-learning process, and the classrooms will be equipped with high-performance technology, equipment and projectors. The e-transformation programme will also include training sessions for school administration members to digitize the management process. Finally, on the model of this school, in the following years of study, the Digitization Strategy will be implemented in another 60 schools in the country, which are part of the „Tekwill in Every School” programme.

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This newsletter is produced within the framework of the project “Visibility of EU and EU assistance in 2022 in the Republic of Moldova”. The project is funded by the European Union and implemented by the Particip GmbH.

Contact data: The European Union Delegation to the Republic of Moldova: Delegation-Moldova@eeas.europa.eu Editorial team: Svetlana Japalau, Team Leader, Particip GmbH svetlana.japalau@particip.com Natalia Ionel, Key Expert, Particip GmbH natalia.ionel@particip.com The content of this publication is the exclusive responsibility of Particip GmbH and the editorial team, and it does not in any way reflect the official opinion of the European Union.

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