On 9 September 2025, the Competition Council of the Republic of Moldova hosted the fourth meeting of the Steering Committee of the Twinning Project “Strengthening the institutional capacity of the Competition Council to enforce competition and State aid policy, in line with the best practices of the European Union.”

The event brought together representatives of the three parties directly involved in the project: the Delegation of the European Union, the Competition Council of the Republic of Moldova – the beneficiary institution – and the implementing consortium, composed of the Romanian Competition Council as Project Leader, alongside the competition authorities of Poland and Lithuania, acting as Junior Project Leaders.

All partners expressed their appreciation for the progress of the project, highlighting the effective cooperation between the teams, the steady pace of implementation, and the quality of the results achieved. The outcomes obtained so far were emphasized, in particular the positive impact of the training sessions dedicated to State aid and the increased awareness among public authorities in the Republic of Moldova regarding the importance of compliance with State aid rules. The Project’s clear focus on concrete results, directly supporting its strategic objectives, was also underlined.

The work plan for the upcoming period includes, among others, training sessions for judges with competences in competition matters, as well as missions dedicated to reviewing State aid schemes to ensure their alignment with EU requirements. Two support missions are also foreseen to help fulfill the conditionalities under the Growth Plan. Furthermore, training sessions will be organized for Local Public Authorities to strengthen their knowledge in the field of State aid. These activities are essential for adequately advancing through the EU accession process, contributing to greater predictability, transparency, and efficiency in the implementation of competition and State aid policies.

Launched on 1 October 2024 with a duration of 27 months, the Twinning Project has as its overall objective the strengthening of the internal market of the Republic of Moldova through the effective implementation and enforcement of competition and State aid policies, in line with the EU acquis, thus contributing to the promotion of fair and sound competition.