Moldova, Romania advance €97m cross-border partnership
The European Union’s €97 million (approx. 1.96 billion MDL) Interreg NEXT program is driving development along the Prut River border, modernising education, emergency infrastructure, and climate resilience across Moldovan and Romanian communities.
Program coordinators showcased key regional results during an evaluation meeting held at the historic Manuc Bey Mansion. Supported initiatives span critical public sectors, ranging from frontline civil defense to digital equipment for rural classrooms.
Classroom upgrades in Edineț
At the Grigore Vieru Gymnasium in Edineț, the cross-border project "Skate" delivered an €85,000 (approx. 1.72 million MDL) modernising package. The Edineț District Council covered 10% of the initiative through local co-financing.
“We created a multifunctional digital lab with eight workstations, five laptops, smart screens, and new furniture,” school director Irina Neaun said. “Our teachers took part in eight specialised training sessions delivered by partners in Botoșani, before sharing those methods with our students.”
Strategic institutional partnerships
Government officials highlighted that the cross-border framework delivers lasting institutional capacity alongside capital investments.
“Beyond financing, this program unites our communities to build long-term projects,” Deputy Secretary General of the Government Emilia Cibotari said. “It currently represents the largest European cross-border funding mechanism accessible to the Republic of Moldova.”
Emergency readiness and climate resilience
The funding mechanism previously supported the expansion of Romania’s SMURD mobile emergency rescue service into Moldova. Successive investments in 2007–2013 and subsequent programming cycles laid the groundwork for joint medical intervention protocols.
“We are building on proven successes like SMURD by directing strategic grants toward climate change adaptation,” Managing Authority representative Daniela Popescu said. “Ongoing projects target flood mitigation infrastructure and community disaster-response training.”
Translation by Iurie Tataru
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