Commissioner for Regional Policy Johannes Hahn will pay an official visit to the Republic of Moldova on Thursday 15 July. In Chisinau, he will meet Prime Minister Vladimir Filat and several Members of the government. In the framework of the "Eastern Partnership" launched in 2009, the purpose of this visit is to launch a new political dialogue between Moldova and the European Union on regional policy. The EU has a long experience in this field and has developed an approach which has proved to be successful and could help to support Moldova's economic development.
Ahead of his visit, Commissioner Hahn stated: "Regional policy has been one of the keys to the European Union's stability and prosperity. The dialogue on regional policy we want to initiate with the Republic of Moldova will allow the country to take advantage of the European Union's experience in dealing with issues such as regional imbalances, cross-border cooperation, strategic planning, multilevel governance and civil society participation".
Commissioner Hahn will hold discussions with Prime Minister Vladimir Filat, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Iurie Leanca and the Minister for Construction and Regional Development, Mr Marcel Raducan. Furthermore the Commissioner will meet with General Mayor of Chisinau Municipality, Mr Dorin Chirtoaca and Chairman of the Democratic Party of Moldova, Mr Marian Lupu. In Anenii Noi, the Commissioner will visit an example of cross-border cooperation between the EU and Moldova in the form of a waste collection management project.
The dialogue launched during the visit will provide opportunities for Moldova to learn more about how the EU supports regions to promote their economic development. It will begin with training courses for officials, expert study visits and joint studies
European Regional policy aims at boosting the competitiveness of all its regions. At the end of the previous programming period (2000-2006), Member States reported the creation of 710 000 jobs in the EU's least developed regions and 730 000 in the more developed regions indicating the results the policy can bring.
The Commissioner will also discuss Moldova's involvement in the future "EU Strategy for the Danube basin" due to be presented by the European Commission by the end of 2010. As a non-EU country, Moldova is consulted and can suggest actions and projects. The Danube Region encompasses 14 countries (of which 8 are EU Member States) ranging from Germany in the West to the Ukraine in the East. Given the inter-linked nature of many of the challenges facing the region, cooperation within a 'macro-regional' framework is intended to produce more effective coordination. This approach - a new working method in the EU - does not imply new laws or institutions but rather strengthens links between different stakeholders and policies.
Moldova is part of the "Eastern Partnership" which brings countries in Eastern Europe and Southern Caucasus, EU Member States and institutions together to promotesecurity, stability and prosperity. It provides additional support for reforms and modernisation efforts.
On 1 June 2010, the Commission adopted the "Annual Action Programme 2010" for the Republic of Moldova, worth a €66 million.
The past few years have witnessed an increased demand from countries outside the EU to learn about the European model of regional integration. The EU has signed bilateral agreements with China, Russia, Brazil and Ukraine to strengthen regional policy cooperation.
