OREANDA-NEWS. September 19, 2012. EC to extend Moldova the financial facility to overcome fallouts of the severe drought of 2012 at a sum of 50 mln. leis (3,15 mln. euros).
This was voiced by Kristalina Georgieva, European Commissioner for International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response at her meeting with Premier of Moldova Vladimir Filat. According to her, this money to back Moldovan growers will be available in October.

Kristalina Georgieva stressed willingness of EU to deepen cooperation with Moldova in the filed of civil protection and noted that disasters are growing in number and severity, due to climate change, urbanization, industrial and demographic growth and put all countries at risk. She stressed that the greatest threats Europe faces are forest fires, droughts, floods. No one country is capable to overcome growing threats by itself and cooperation is the most effective and cost-saving way to protect people and avoid large-scale damage. Kristalina Georgieva reminded that EU and Moldova had already made first steps cooperation in disaster prevention and response. For example, in May, 2012 the European Commission and the Emergency Situations Service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Moldova signed a civil protection cooperation Administrative Arrangement.

In the next two years, the Arrangement envisages participation in joint trainings and workshops in civil protection and sharing of experience in disaster response. Vladimir Filat thanked EU for the aid to overcome fallouts of the drought. He reminded that the government decided to refund growers 200 leis per each hectare planted with winter crops. The same aid will be granted them next year for planting maize and other cereals. The aid will be available after the sowing is completed. Vladimir Filat declared that to prevent reduction of cattle in households that had suffered from the drought and are facing shortage of forage the government is going to allocate 12 mln. leis to purchase the feed.

This problem is especially pressing in the south of Moldova, in particular, in Gagauzia, the Premier said. He also reminded that the government is going to increase the Fund of Subsidies for growers as the budget for the next year is considered. The damage Moldova’s agriculture suffered due to the sever drought made up a sum of 2.5 bln. leis, Moldovan authorities stated earlier.