Supporting local communities in Moldova – LOCOMO

With the project EU4Moldova: Local Communities (LOCOMO), we are supporting selected communities in the Republic of Moldova to cope with the economic and social impact of COVID-19. We are implementing the program together with the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and the Polish Solidarity Fund. The Austrian Development Agency's focus is on water management and vocational training.

The total budget of LOCOMO amounts to around 17.45 million euros, 13.8 million euros of which are financed by the European Union (EU). 2.7 million euros come from Austrian Development Cooperation (ADC) funds. The remainder is contributed by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). The program runs for four years from the beginning of 2022 to the end of 2025.

Focus on water infrastructure

The Republic of Moldova is considered Europe’s poorest and least developed country. Infrastructure and related services of water, sanitation and waste management are hardly developed, particularly in rural areas. Therefore, one of the components of the programme focuses on optimising water supply, sanitation and waste management.

As a flagship project, a water treatment plant will be constructed in Edinet in northern Moldova in the framework of LOCOMO. Additionally, ten to 15 smaller construction projects will improve water infrastructure in schools, daycare centres and other public facilities. Access to renewed infrastructure benefits water suppliers and waste management providers, public authorities, and – most of all – the population in the selected target areas.

Focus on vocational training

Our second component within the project is improving the education sector, which we are implementing together with GIZ. The ADA project team focuses on VET institutions (Vocational Education and Training) as well as the political and strategic framework for dual education, especially when it comes to the cooperation of national and local institutions in designing legislation and political orientation.

Improved vocational training will give women and men better opportunities in the labour market. It will also create synergies in the water infrastructure sector, as new infrastructure requires appropriate vocational training for operation and maintenance.

Four vocational training institutions and their staff benefit from LOCOMO, as do about thousand students as well as local businesses.

Team Europe: Working Better Together

LOCOMO is a Team Europe Initiative (TEI) and is financed through the European Neighbourhood Instrument (ENI). Team Europe is part of the EU's global response to the COVID-19 pandemic. It aims to strengthen cooperation among EU member countries and their implementing agencies in development cooperation through joint programs.