Strengthening environmental organizations in the Republic of Moldova in the EU accession process

The dependency on Ukrainian and Russian energy supplies, the refugee streams caused by the war in Ukraine, and the frozen conflict over the separatist republic of Transnistria are currently placing a heavy burden on the Republic of Moldova and influencing its scope for action in environmental policy. However, its candidate status for the European Union offers prospects and provides impetus for stabilization and socially just transformation. The political environment for managing this complex transformation is very dynamic, but also fragile, partly due to the pressure to align with the EU acquis. The progressive government, with representatives who originally come from an NGO background, and not least the increasingly agile next generation of activists, can create momentum for the success of social transformation processes.

A key factor influencing the ambition and design of environmental policy for the coming years is how effective NGOs are in this constellation. The predecessor project, “Capacity building for the strategic promotion of young professionals in the environmental sector in the Republic of Moldova”, which ran until February 2023, achieved milestones in strengthening civil society. Numerous measures were implemented for the strategic recruitment and promotion of young talents, and an information portal on active environmental NGOs in the Republic of Moldova was developed. Following on from the project, it will be important in the coming years to create opportunities for learning experiences in NGOs and to strengthen them overall in order to strike a balance with other lobby groups during a phase of economic upswing and to support watchdog functions. In order to professionalize the local NGO scene, the next few months will also focus on ensuring that NGOs are visible to young people and funding institutions, with a view to creating access to NGOs for interested individuals and serving as a figurehead for donors.

The aim of the project is to build the capacity of NGOs working in the environmental sector in the Republic of Moldova and to strategically position the organizations in the competition for European funding. The overarching goal is to ensure the long-term visibility and accessibility of Moldovan civil society and environmental organizations via an information portal. To this end, Moldovan environmental NGOs will be advised on organizational development issues, the information portal developed in the previous project will be revised, the long-term continuation of the information portal will be ensured, and the Moldovan Ministry of Environment will be informed accordingly.