Under EU4Environment the OECD, one of the implementing partners, work with the Ministry of Agriculture, Regional Development and Environment of Moldova (MARDE) on improving the current operation of the National Ecological Fund of Moldova (FEN).
Since its establishment in 1998, the FEN has steadily grown in revenues and now manages around MLD 400 million (about USD 22 million). Fund managers reviewed more than 300 project applications in 2019 alone. However, daily management of the Fund proves to be particularly challenging due to a number of factors. Amongst the more pertinent are limited administrative capacity and project cycle management which could be run more efficiently and more transparently.
A key aim of the project under EU4Environment is to strengthen institutional arrangements and build capacity to support sound project management practices. The OECD and MARDE, in close consultations with relevant stakeholders in Moldova as well as international experts on fund management, agreed to develop an Operational Manual for the fund by the end of 2020. The Manual will include application forms, reporting forms and evaluation criteria for the project appraisal process. In the longer term, the revenue sources of the FEN and recommendations on an advanced operational model and structure based on best OECD and regional practices will be the focus of activities under the EU4Environment project.