Moldova

On the doorstep of the European Union (EU), the Republic of Moldova is undergoing a profound transformation, driven by a clear ambition: to join the EU. Since 2022, AFD Group has stood alongside the country on this path. It supports reforms and finances investment in the sectors that matter most for the country’s future: energy, energy efficiency, agriculture and irrigation, forestry, public governance, private sector development and innovation.

In four years, AFD Group has committed or mobilised nearly €440 million in Moldova. This financing combines resources from AFD and Proparco with European funds implemented by AFD and Expertise France. Loans, grants and technical assistance are combined to respond as closely as possible to the country’s needs. AFD Group has thus become one of Moldova’s leading bilateral development partners. It is also a major partner of the European Commission in implementing the EU Growth Plan, both on investment and on reform support, as part of a “Team Europe” approach.

Context

Located between Romania and Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova is particularly exposed to the economic, energy and social consequences of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. The country must also contend with the growing effects of climate change, significant investment needs, and an ageing population and emigration, all of which weigh on its development prospects.

Against this backdrop, Moldova has embarked on an unprecedented rapprochement with the EU. Moldova was granted candidate status in June 2022, and accession negotiations were formally opened in June 2024. This path requires a rapid transformation of the country’s public policies, institutions and infrastructure, in line with the EU acquis. The EU Growth Plan for Moldova (2025–2027) reinforces this momentum by combining structural reforms and investment to accelerate the country’s economic convergence with the EU.

Present and active in Moldova since 2022, AFD Group supports this trajectory as a long-term partner and within a “Team Europe” approach. Since August 2024, the Group has relied on a fully-fledged AFD office in Chisinau, which reports to AFD’s Regional Office for Enlargement and the European Neighbourhood, based in Istanbul. This set-up was further strengthened in August 2026 with the opening of a shared Expertise France office headed by a country representative.

AFD Group mobilised for Moldova’s European future

Financing, investing, advising: in Moldova, AFD Group brings together three complementary areas of expertise to meet its partners’ needs. AFD works with public authorities, local governments and civil society, and supports major sector reforms. Proparco invests alongside companies and financial institutions to support employment and entrepreneurship. Expertise France mobilises French and European public expertise to strengthen Moldovan institutions.

This complementarity makes it possible to act on both reforms and investment, by combining financing, technical assistance and European funds. This integrated approach is fully consistent with Team Europe and with the priorities of the EU Growth Plan for Moldova. It pursues a shared ambition: to support the country in building a more resilient, competitive and low-carbon economy, with institutions and infrastructure progressively aligned with EU standards.

Our approach

Supporting Moldova’s European integration by strengthening its resilience, sovereignty and prosperity

Convergence with European standards is the common thread running through AFD Group’s action in Moldova, serving both the bilateral relationship between France and Moldova and the European agenda.

In the energy sector, successive crises have shown the need to diversify supply, integrate into European markets and achieve a lasting reduction in consumption. Since 2023, AFD has been supporting sector reforms through a multi-year public policy support programme. The programme aims to strengthen the country’s energy security, develop an electricity market that complies with EU rules, and create an enabling environment for renewable energy and energy efficiency. It combines AFD budget financing with EU-funded technical assistance implemented by Expertise France.

In the forestry sector, AFD supports governance reform as part of the Moldovan authorities’ roll-out of the 2023–2032 National Afforestation Programme. The programme aims in particular to significantly expand forest cover, improve sustainable forest management and strengthen forests’ resilience to climate change.

Expertise France complements these interventions by supporting the Moldovan administration in several areas that are key to the accession process, including reform of the State and state-owned enterprises, strengthening the rule of law, and developing the innovation ecosystem.

Beyond reform support, AFD’s action in Moldova also takes the form of nationwide investment programmes that deliver tangible benefits for the population.

Renovating 30 regional hospitals and higher education institutions to cut their energy consumption by up to 60%: this is the ambition of the INSPIREE programme, launched in 2025. More than 200,000 patients, students, teachers and staff will benefit from better conditions for care, study and work. This €73 million Franco-German initiative combines an AFD loan, a German grant through KfW and a contribution from the Moldovan authorities. Reducing dependence on imports also means strengthening the country’s sovereignty.

A cornerstone of the economy and of rural areas, agriculture is increasingly exposed to drought. Signed in May 2026 under the EU Growth Plan, the iDRIP project mobilises €60 million, combining an AFD loan and an EU grant. It will rehabilitate two public irrigation systems and strengthen sector capacity, helping agriculture become better equipped to face climate change.

Creating jobs, retaining talent and accelerating economic convergence with the EU: the private sector will play a decisive role in Moldova’s European future.

Proparco, AFD Group’s private sector subsidiary, supports financial inclusion and the development of small and medium-sized enterprises. Its partnership with Microinvest, the country’s leading microfinance institution, improves access to credit for micro-entrepreneurs and SMEs, particularly in rural areas and in agriculture, with a focus on women and young people.

At the same time, Expertise France contributes to developing Moldova’s entrepreneurial and digital ecosystem, notably through the EU-funded regional programme EU4Innovation East. The aim is to support a more competitive economy, better integrated into the European market and able to create more opportunities for its young people.

Since the start of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, AFD has stood alongside Moldovan society to help it face crises and strengthen its resilience. Following the emergency programmes deployed from 2022 onwards, it now relies on long-term partnerships that bring together the green transition, essential services and local stakeholders.

Health centres and social centres that are more energy self-sufficient: this is the aim of the SOLIDES project, implemented by Électriciens sans frontières with Moldovan civil society organisations and supported by AFD. Through the installation of solar panels and energy efficiency measures, these facilities also reduce their costs and greenhouse gas emissions.

The project also strengthens the capacity of partner Moldovan organisations and trains young people in electrical and renewable energy trades.