The European Union has disbursed a further €50 million in macro-financial assistance (MFA) to the Republic of Moldova, the European Commission announced on 8 October.

The latest payment is part of the €3 billion emergency MFA package for ten enlargement and neighbourhood partners, which aims to help them respond to the economic impact of COVID-19. MFA support is provided through loans at very favourable rates. 

The first €50 million disbursement took place last November. The announcement said Moldova had made “remarkable progress” to complete the policy conditions agreed for the release of this second and final €50 million disbursement under the current programme. These included measures to improve public finance management in the health sector, fight against corruption, measures to strengthen good governance and the rule of law, as well as to improve the business climate.

The MFA disbursement comes shortly after the release of a €36.4 million grant of budget support as part of the EU Economic Recovery Plan for Moldova of up to €600 million for the next three years.