Moldova, a candidate country for accession to the European Union, is officially a Participating State in the Union Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM).
An agreement to this effect was signed on Friday 29 September in Chișinău by the European Commissioner for Crisis Management, Janez Lenarčič, and Moldovan Minister of Internal Affairs, Adrian Efros, formalising what had been announced at the end of April (see EUROPE 13172/17).
The UCPM is a pan-European solidarity mechanism that allows any country - inside or outside the EU - that so requests to receive urgent assistance in kind when faced with a natural or man-made disaster on a scale that exceeds its capacity to cope. The costs of delivering the aid are funded by the EU.
In front of the press, the Moldovan minister expressed his thanks for the aid his country had already received via this mechanism, notably “during the floods of 2008 and 2010”, and recently with the supply of power generators.
The Commissioner said that Moldova’s accession to full membership would “benefit both sides” and that the UCPM “will become stronger with Moldova’s contribution”.
It has already participated as a contributing country, notably after the earthquake in Turkey in February.
The agreement will apply provisionally until Moldova officially becomes a participating country on 1 January 2024, following ratification of the agreement. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)