May 9 (SeeNews) - The European Commission said on Tuesday that it has further integrated Moldova in the Single Market mechanism by granting the country access to EU grants for public and private projects of common interest in the transport, energy and digital spheres.
To this end, Moldova's Prime Minister, Dorin Recean, and EU Transport Commissioner Adina Valean signed an agreement enabling Moldova to join the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF), the Commission said in a press release.
In the transport sector, authorities and companies from Moldova will be eligible for funding under CEF calls in the 2021-2027 programming period, with the next call for proposals scheduled to be launched in September.
In the energy industry, infrastructure projects from Moldova which are already linked with EU member states will be eligible for funding under EU energy infrastructure rules under the new category of projects of mutual interest (PMI). They will therefore benefit from streamlined permitting procedures and better access to finance. In addition, Moldova could receive funding for cross-border projects in the renewable energy sector.
Lastly, the country will be able to apply for CEF co-financing for projects that develop and improve digital connectivity within Moldova and between the country and its neighbours, such as Gigabit, fifth-generation (5G) mobile networks or backbone communications networks between EU member states and third countries.
Moldova was granted EU candidate status in June 2022.