Today, our country marks Europe Day, on the occasion of the 70^th anniversary of Robert Schuman Declaration adoption, who was the cornerstone of the European Union.

European integration has become and is the main priority of our country. Most reform and development policies are developed in line with this objective.

Relations with the European Union have a major influence on the development of the Moldovan economy. Currently, over 65 percent of exports are directed to the common market. Likewise, most of the investments come from the member countries of the European Union. Companies such as Orange, Draxelmaier, Societe Generale, Lafarge, Metro and Sudzucker are developing their business in Moldova.

The EU is also one of the largest financiers of our country, and the number of allocations offered so far is close to EUR one billion. With the support of the European Union, several reform programmes, projects for the development of the business environment, but also for the modernization of the infrastructure, were carried out.

It should be noted that the European Union has started to support the field of regional development in the Republic of Moldova since 2013, and the regional development sector has been included as an important chapter in the Moldova-EU Association Agreement.

In June 2016, GIZ Moldova and the Delegation of the European Union (EU) to the Republic of Moldova signed the Grant Agreement on "Development of technical projects and tender documentation for construction works within selected projects related to water supply and sewage (WSS ) and energy efficiency (EE) in the three development regions of the Republic of Moldova ". The total budget of the Action was EUR 3.5 million granted by the EU and EUR 325 thousand provided by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

Thus, the European Union financed, in 2019, the elaboration of technical documentation for five infrastructure projects in the Southern Development Region. The general objective of the projects supported by the EU is to increase the access of the citizens of the Republic of Moldova to improved water supply and sewerage services, but also those of energy efficiency in public buildings.

The European Union is currently funding four projects in the south of the country on water supply, sewerage services and increasing the energy efficiency of public buildings, through the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ). Namely:

1. "Improvement of water supply services in Iargara, Filipeni, Romanovca and Cupcui communities from Leova Rayon".

2. "Extension of sewerage network in the town of Leova; Construction of wastewater pumping station in Leova town".

3. "Increasing of Energy Efficiency at "Constantin Spătaru" Theoretical Lyceum, Leova  town".

4.  „Increasing of Energy Efficiency at "Matei Basarab" Theoretical Lyceum, Basarabeasca town".

The above-mentioned projects were taken over from the WSS and EE Regional Sectoral Programmes, developed with the support of GIZ during the years 2014-2015. These are implemented by the Regional Development Agency South and are currently in the stage of launching public tenders for the purchase of construction works.

In order to start the construction works and, directly, for the implementation of the above-mentioned projects, the European Union has committed to grant, in total, approximately  EUR 11 million.

As a result of the implementation of these projects, over 64 thousand citizens from the Southern Development Region of the country will benefit from modern water supply conditions and sewerage services. At the same time, two school institutions from Leova and Basarabeasca districts will benefit, thanks to the support of the European Union, from energy efficiency projects.

The energy efficiency measures, which will be implemented in the schools, will ensure optimal conditions for the professional activity of the staff and the studies of the students from several localities. And in terms of water supply and sewerage measures, the main expected results are to improve the infrastructure for providing water supply services and increase the connection rate of the population to them. All these measures will possibly contribute to the elimination of rural disparities, but also of urban ones.

Another project implemented by RDA South with the support of the European Union, within the initiative "Mayors for Economic Growth", is the "South Gate of Moldova Open for Business and Investment Promotion".

This project addressed the economy and business development sector. The main objective of the project focused on local economic development, improving the competitiveness of SMEs in the South region by targeting foreign investment in the local economy, as well as providing high quality services for business development throughout the region.

The project was implemented by the Cimișlia District Council in partnership with the Organization for Small and Medium Enterprises Sector Development (ODIMM) and the Regional Development Agency South (RDA South) and had a total budget of EUR 336,121.00.

At the moment, RDA South is also implementing a project funded by the European Union, through the Joint Operational Program Romania-Moldova 2014-2020 - "Renaissance of the authentic folk crafts - common cultural heritage as a focal point for sustainable economic and tourism development" , submitted by RDA South in partnership with the Association "ART - Meşteşugurile Prutului" (Romania), within the Call launched in 2018.

This project has a total budget of 1,939.04 thousand lei and aims to improve the tourism potential in the southern region of the cross-border area with a new economic activity related to traditional crafts, as a way to increase income from tourism activities and to preserve the genetic code of the national identity of the communities on both sides of the Prut River, who inherited the common cultural treasure as a result of historical evolution.

The European Union will also support the development and modernization of the water supply and sewage infrastructure of Cahul rayon, participating with a contribution of EUR 10.9 million in the project "Water supply and sewage in Cahul rayon", financed by the Government of Germany through the German Development Bank KfW.