General principles

1. Support from the Facility shall be managed by the Commission in a manner consistent with the key principles and objectives of economic reforms set out in the EU-Moldova Association Agreement and the Union enlargement policy.

2. Cooperation under the Facility shall be needs-based and shall promote the development effectiveness principles, namely ownership of development priorities by Moldova with a focus on clear conditionality and tangible results, inclusive partnerships with social partners and civil society organisations, as well as transparency and mutual accountability. That cooperation shall be based on an effective and efficient allocation and use of resources.

3. The provision of macro-financial assistance shall not fall within the scope of the Facility.

4. Support from the Facility shall be additional and complementary to the support provided under other Union programmes and instruments. Activities eligible for funding under this Regulation may receive support from other Union programmes and instruments, provided that such support does not cover the same cost and that appropriate oversight and budget control is ensured. The Commission shall ensure complementarities and synergies between the Facility and other Union programmes, with a view to avoiding the duplication of assistance and double funding.

5. In order to promote the complementarity, coherence and efficiency of their actions, the Commission and the Member States shall cooperate and shall strive to avoid the duplication of assistance and ensure synergies between assistance under this Regulation and other forms of assistance, including integrated financial packages composed of both export and development financing provided by the Union, Member States, third countries, multilateral and regional organisations and entities, such as international organisations and the relevant international financial institutions, agencies and non-Union donors, in line with the established principles for strengthening operational coordination in the field of external assistance, including through enhanced coordination with Member States at local level. Such coordination at local level shall involve regular and timely consultations and frequent exchanges of information throughout the implementation of the Facility.

6. Activities under the Facility shall mainstream and promote democracy, human rights and gender equality, progressively align with the social, climate and environmental standards of the Union, mainstream climate change mitigation and adaptation, where relevant, disaster risk reduction, environmental protection and biodiversity conservation, including through, where appropriate, environmental impact assessments, and shall support progress towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, promoting integrated actions that can create co-benefits and meet multiple objectives in a coherent way. Those activities shall avoid stranded assets, and shall be guided by the principles of ‘do no significant harm’ and of ‘leaving no one behind’, as well as by the sustainability mainstreaming approach underpinning the European Green Deal. At least 37 % of the non-repayable financial support, including provisioning, provided to investment projects approved under the Neighbourhood Investment Platform shall be attributed to climate objectives.

7. Moldova and the Commission shall ensure that gender equality, gender mainstreaming and the integration of a gender perspective are taken into account and promoted throughout the preparation of the Reform Agenda and the implementation of the Facility. Moldova and the Commission shall take appropriate measures to prevent any discrimination based upon gender, racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation. The Commission shall report on those measures in the context of its regular reporting under the Gender Action Plans.

8. The Facility shall not support activities or measures which are incompatible with Moldova’s National Energy and Climate Plan, its Nationally Determined Contribution under the Paris Agreement or its ambition to reach climate-neutrality by 2050, or activities or measures that promote investments in fossil fuels or cause significant adverse effects on the environment, the climate or biodiversity, unless such activities or measures are strictly required to achieve the objectives of the Facility, in particular Article 3(2), point (c), while taking into account possible transitional arrangements and while pursuing a mid- to long-term energy strategy to ensure energy security. Those transitional arrangements shall be accompanied, where relevant, by appropriate measures to avoid, prevent or reduce and, if possible, offset those adverse effects.

9. In line with the principle of inclusive partnership, the Commission shall strive to ensure, as appropriate, democratic scrutiny in the form of consultation by Moldova’s government of the parliament of Moldova, local authorities, in accordance with Moldova’s national legal framework, and of relevant stakeholders, including social partners and civil society, as well as vulnerable groups, refugees, and all minorities and communities, as relevant, so as to allow them to participate in shaping the design and the implementation of activities eligible for funding under the Facility and in the related monitoring, scrutiny and evaluation processes, as relevant. That consultation shall seek to represent the pluralism of Moldova’s society. In addition, the Commission shall ensure that civil society in Moldova, including non-governmental organisations, is able to directly report any irregularities concerning funding or final recipients to the Commission via appropriate standing channels.

10. The Commission, in close cooperation with the Member States and Moldova, shall ensure the implementation of Union commitments to increased transparency and accountability in the delivery of support, including by promoting the implementation and reinforcement of internal control systems and anti-fraud policies. The Commission shall make information on the volume and allocation of support publicly available through the Facility scoreboard referred to in Article 24. Moldova shall publish up-to-date data on final recipients receiving Union funds for the implementation of reforms and investments under the Facility, as described in Article 20.

REGULATION (EU) 2025/535 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 18 March 2025 establishing the Reform and Growth Facility for the Republic of Moldova