Moldova is preparing a legal framework to attract green investment under the Net-Zero Industry approach

The Republic of Moldova is preparing legislative amendments aimed at modernising its investment policy and attracting environmentally sustainable technologies into the national economy. The initiative concerns the implementation of the European Net-Zero Industry approach, which is focused on the development of industries with zero or low emissions and on strengthening the competitiveness of the green economy.

The initiative provides for the harmonisation of Moldovan legislation with the relevant European Union act — the Net-Zero Industry Act. At EU level, this act is intended to create better conditions for investment in clean technologies and to ensure that the manufacturing capacity of strategic net-zero technologies in the EU approaches or reaches at least 40% of the Union’s annual deployment needs by 2030.

The proposed amendments are expected to create more transparent and faster procedures for investors working in the field of green technologies, materials and equipment. Key areas include simplified access to public procurement, tax incentives and financing programmes, including external support instruments.

Cristina Ceban, State Secretary of the Ministry of Economic Development and Digitalisation of Moldova, stated during a meeting of the parliamentary committee on European integration that, at European level, Net-Zero Industry is a comprehensive concept covering the development of sectors related to green materials and equipment. It also provides investors with faster access to various procedures, including procurement, tax incentives and financing, in particular through ODA.

The draft law is currently at the finalisation stage. It is expected to be submitted to the European Commission in May, while final adoption is planned by the end of the current year.

The document is being prepared within the cluster related to external cooperation and accession to the EU’s common commercial policy. This indicates that Moldova views green industry not only as an environmental priority, but also as an element of economic integration into the European market.

In practical terms, this approach may open additional opportunities for investors in renewable energy, energy efficiency, production of decarbonisation equipment, battery technologies, electromobility, hydrogen solutions and other sectors aligned with the logic of European climate neutrality.

Comment by the Institute of Danube Research

According to experts of the Institute of Danube Research, Moldova’s intention to adapt its legislation to the Net-Zero Industry approach is important not only for the country’s domestic economic policy, but also for the wider Danube–Black Sea region.

“Moldova is gradually building an institutional basis for moving from declarative green policy to practical mechanisms for attracting investment. If these changes are implemented effectively, they could make the country more attractive to equipment manufacturers, energy companies, technology investors and international financial institutions,” the Institute noted.

For Ukraine, this process also has practical significance, as Moldova is an important neighbour in the Danube region, energy corridors, cross-border logistics and potential joint production chains.

“For the Ukrainian Danube region, it is important to closely monitor how Moldova is building its regulatory environment for green investment. In the future, this may create new opportunities for cross-border projects in energy, industrial cooperation, logistics and climate-oriented development. Competition for investment in clean technologies in the region will increase, and Ukraine must create equally clear and predictable conditions for investors,” IDR experts emphasised.

For the Danube region, Moldova’s initiative is indicative for several reasons. First, it demonstrates the country’s intention to synchronise its economic policy with European industrial standards. Second, it creates preconditions for new investment niches in territories adjacent to Ukraine. Third, it increases the importance of regional cooperation in energy security, decarbonisation and sustainable development.

The Net-Zero Industry approach may become for Moldova not only an environmental framework, but also an instrument of industrial modernisation. For Ukraine and the Ukrainian Danube region, this is a signal of the need to more actively combine European integration policy, investment planning and the development of border territories into a unified strategy of economic resilience.