An AGREED state of affairs: working towards governance reform in Moldova during, between political instability and Coronavirus'outbreak

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On April 28th, the second Steering Committee meeting of the "AGREED - Activating Governance Reform for Enhancing Development" project was held online in Chisinau, Republic of Moldova, to focus on the report of the first year of project implementation and on the planned activities for the second year.

The meeting was attended by ALDA Project Manager Victor Cotruta, as well as representatives from ALDA's financial department and project management unit and local partners Local Democracy Agency Moldova and the University Legal Clinic Balti.

PM Cotruta's report of the main achievements and problems faced by the team in the first life-year of the project crucially noted that the implementation process was particularly hampered by the political situation in Moldova, where a few months after the February 2019 Parliamentary elections the Government collapsed (June 2019) and later reformed (November 2019).

It was additionally reported that the project implementation team worked closely with the EU Delegation in Moldova and the State Chancellery to find a consensus regarding the activities to set up, despite the new Government's reluctance towards the adoption of an administrative-territorial reform.

The meeting then shifted to an open discussion session which saw the contributions of Tsvetomir Svilenov, Project Manager of the EU Delegation in Moldova; ALDA Secretary-General Antonella Valmorbida; ALDA EaP Coordinator Alexandru Coica; and other participants. 

In conclusion, the project scheme for the second year was examined in light of the Covid-19 repercussions currently affecting the work plan: as a result, some activities will be postponed while others will be conducted online, and the Steering Committee agreed to maintain smart working where possible, while monitoring the situation and planning prompt measures where needed and applicable.

AGREED is an EU-funded 2-year project aimed at strengthening the capacity of Moldova’s local authorities to perform a transparent and participatory governance within their communities, with an emphasis on the policy making process related to the upcoming decentralisation reform.