On Monday 27 January, the European Commission announced that the EU had “in a first step” offered €30 million in emergency aid to help Moldova cope with its serious energy crisis.
The crisis was triggered by Gazprom’s decision on 1 January to halt gas supplies to the breakaway region of Transnistria, in response to Ukraine’s decision not to extend the agreement on the transit of Russian gas through its territory (see EUROPE 13551/13).
“In the middle of winter, more than 350,000 residents in the Transnistrian region are left in the dark and in the cold because Russia decided to stop its gas deliveries”, declared the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen.
This EU aid is intended to finance the purchase - from suppliers in Ukraine and on the European market - and transport of natural gas to Transnistria to help restore electricity and heating until 10 February.
The EU has also supported the allocation of transport capacity on the delivery route from Bulgaria and Romania to the entry points of the Moldovan gas transport system.
Secondly, the EU has pledged to provide Moldova with a broader programme of financial support in the near future to alleviate the social consequences of the crisis, “while laying the groundwork for long-term energy resilience and economic growth”.
The Commission also indicated that the option of support via coal deliveries from Ukraine was under consideration. (Original version in French by Pauline Denys)