The Republic of Moldova joined the LIFE Program of the European Union. The agreement was initialed at the meeting of Prime Minister Natalia Gavrilița with the EU Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries, Virginijus Sinkevičius.
The Head of Government from Chisinau expressed her gratitude for the trust given to our country. Gavrilița mentioned the importance of the LIFE Program and encouraged public and private institutions, as well as civil society organizations, to access it.
“The access to this program shows that, although the road to our country’s accession to the EU is a long one, in many sectors we have already taken concrete steps towards integration”, declared the prime minister.
During the meeting, the officials talked about the reform of the environmental sector and the climate policy, which have a priority role in the association agenda of the Republic of Moldova. The Prime Minister referred here to the attention given to the European Green Pact and the adaptation of the normative framework to its principles, but also highlighted the topics on the Government’s agenda: increasing the degree of afforestation in the country and waste management.
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“Climate change affects us all. That is why our national objective is the unconditional 70% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. We made this commitment because we want to leave our children a greener and cleaner Moldova, but also because we understand that only with sustained global efforts we will be able to combat the climate crisis that threatens the whole of humanity”, pointed out the head of the cabinet of ministers.
For his part, the European Commissioner specified that “the challenges you face are significant, but by joining the LIFE Program, the Republic of Moldova demonstrates that it is determined to face them and turn them into opportunities. The program will significantly contribute to the transition to a sustainable economy, based on renewable energy sources, which will protect and improve the quality of the environment and combat the degradation of ecosystems”.
According to him, thanks to the program, our country will receive support to reduce pollution, improve the health of the population, prepare the economy for the future and implement environmental and climate change projects.
The LIFE program is the initiative of the European Union, dedicated exclusively to the environment. Since 1992, through the program, more than 5,600 projects have been co-financed, and for the years 2021-2027, a budget of 5.43 billion euros is allocated for this purpose, the figure constituting 0.48% of the total EU budget.
After the meeting and the signing of the agreement, Gavrilița and Sinkevičius planted trees in the Botanical Garden in the Capital.