Participation of public authorities in European Groupings of Territorial Cooperation to be regulated

The Republic of Moldova is preparing a separate legal framework to regulate the participation of public authorities in European Groupings of Territorial Cooperation (EGTCs), a European Union instrument that enables national, regional, and local authorities from different countries to directly implement joint projects, manage funding, and establish sustainable mechanisms for cross-border cooperation.

The relevant draft law, developed by the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova with the support of the Moldovan-Swedish project PACE Local, funded by the Government of Sweden through Sida, is intended to create a clear regulatory basis for the participation of Moldovan public institutions in such structures. According to the initiators, the document is designed to strengthen the country’s institutional capacity in the context of European integration and to expand opportunities for regional and local development.

The draft law is currently being examined by the Parliamentary Committee on Public Administration and Regional Development. Its adoption is expected to define the procedure for direct cooperation between Moldovan authorities and partners from EU member states and other countries, as well as regulate the approval, monitoring, financial participation, and liability of Moldovan entities within EGTCs.

It is also emphasized that the new law will govern the participation of public authorities in EGTC Est Gate, a recently launched structure involving authorities from Romania, Bulgaria, the Republic of Moldova, and Ukraine. This gives the initiative not only domestic relevance but also clear regional significance in the context of shaping new formats of cooperation in the wider Black Sea–Danube area.

European Groupings of Territorial Cooperation operate on the basis of Regulation (EC) No 1082/2006 and represent one of the most practical EU legal mechanisms for cross-border, transnational, and interregional cooperation. Their distinctive feature is their own legal personality, which allows them to conclude contracts, manage financial resources, and directly implement joint development projects. Participants in such groupings may include municipalities, district and regional authorities, public institutions, bodies governed by public law, and associations of public authorities.

Among the key benefits of participation in EGTCs for Moldovan authorities are easier access to European co-financing programmes, primarily Interreg, as well as expanded opportunities to attract resources through Erasmus+, Horizon Europe, LIFE, and Digital Europe. Equally important is the practical effect in the form of improved competencies in international project preparation and management, as well as the establishment of direct partnerships with European institutions.

Comment by the Institute of Danube Research

The preparation of such a law in Moldova is a significant step in institutional adaptation to European mechanisms of multilevel governance. It is not merely a technical regulation of participation in EGTCs, but in fact the creation of a new legal framework for the deeper integration of territorial communities and public authorities into the space of European regional policy. For the Ukrainian Danube region and adjacent territories, this is of particular importance, as the development of such formats opens additional opportunities for joint projects in infrastructure, logistics, environmental monitoring, digitalisation of services, and strengthening the institutional capacity of communities.

Moldova’s participation in EGTC Est Gate, together with Ukraine, Romania, and Bulgaria, may become an important precedent for giving practical substance to cross-border cooperation on the south-eastern flank of Europe. With proper legal and organisational support, this instrument could move beyond declarative coordination toward the implementation of concrete multilateral projects, which is especially relevant in the context of reconstruction, regional security, and the reorientation of financial flows toward the sustainable development of border areas.