The European Investment Bank (EIB) is lending EUR 25m – the first tranche of an approved loan of EUR 100m – to the Republic of Moldova to finance improvements to the country’s municipal solid waste management services.
The EIB support – which is in line with the government’s priorities, in particular for social projects benefiting citizens – will help to reduce the negative impacts of the outdated solid waste facilities on the environment and public health.
The EIB loan will help to implement the 2013-2027 Waste Management Strategy of the Republic of Moldova, involving projects aimed at upgrading and developing solid waste management systems and facilities in eight regions across the country. The projects will provide new collection systems, material and bio-waste treatment facilities and new regional sanitary landfills for all the urban population and part of the rural population, totalling approximately 3 million people.
Based on upgrades to the waste collection systems and introduction of separate collection and treatment of recyclable materials and bio-waste, the projects will reduce adverse environmental, health and climate impacts from out of date dumpsites, which will be closed or rehabilitated. The loan will thus provide timely investment support for the transposition of the EU legislation in the waste management sector as stipulated by the Moldova-EU Association Agreement.
The EIB loan will finance up to 50% of the total costs of the different components. The remaining funds will be provided by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), The national authorities and final beneficiaries will also contribute with their own funds. Additional technical assistance has been provided by other international donors, such as the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ) and the Czech Development Agency.
Original source: EIB
Published on 18 October 2019
