Publish information about projects financed by Romania in the Republic of Moldova (RO0072)

Which public issue will be addressed by this obligation? At the present moment there is no database that could bring forth in an exhaustive way all the investments that Romania has made in the Republic of Moldova. The role and importance of Romania in supporting the European course of the Republic of Moldova, even after the signing of the Association Agreement of the Republic of Moldova with the European Union, is significant. Romania has financed infrastructural, media, cultural and academic projects in the Republic of Moldova, with major impact. Unfortunately, the communication of these data and information, especially to the citizens of the Republic of Moldova, has been lacking a systemic approach over the years.

Description of the commitment What is the obligation? The Department for Relations with the Republic of Moldova will map all the financings made by the Romanian Government in the Republic of Moldova by elaborating a digital database, which will contain data on the official documents based on which the financings were made, the amounts invested, beneficiaries from the Republic of Moldova, financiers from Romania (local and central level), financing date, degree of completion of the investment.

How will the fulfilment of the obligation contribute to the solving of the public problem? Developing an interactive digital map of the Republic of Moldova, which will help make possible to view all financing projects carried out by the Government of Romania in the Republic of Moldova.

What is the main objective? High degree of systemic / permanent information and public awareness of the citizens of the Republic of Moldova regarding the role and importance of Romania in supporting the European integration effort of the Republic of Moldova.

Goals/activities Responsible (institution / partner) Start date End date 26 Database development DRRM 2021 November 2020 Completing the Database DRRM 2021 May 2021 Collection of information related to nonreimbursable financing made by Romania to the Republic of Moldova DRRM 2021 December 2020 Other information Required Budget (lei) (source, if readily-available) Taking into account the critical situation related to the Covid19 pandemic, all activities will be carried out from the budget of the DRRM-GSG Correlation with other government programs / strategies National Strategy for the Digital Agenda; Law no. 544/2001 on access to information of public interest Memorandum on Increasing transparency and standardizing the display of information of public interest

Action Plan Review

Commitment 7: Information on projects financed by the Romanian Government in the Republic of Moldova

Lead institution: Department for Relations with the Republic of Moldova of the General Secretariat of the Government

For a complete description of the commitment, see Commitment 7 in Romania’s 2020–2022 action plan here.

Context and objectives

Under this commitment, the Department of Relations with the Republic of Moldova (DRRM) under the General Secretariat of the Government aims to create a central database with information on all projects carried out by the Government of Romania in the Republic of Moldova. DRRM will develop the database into an interactive map using internal data provided by ministries, agencies, universities, and local public administrations.

DRRM proposed this initiative to aggregate projects financed from central and local governments. [1] National legislation in Romania allows financing of local development projects in the Republic of Moldova by Romania’s local public administration per twin agreements between cities, communes, and counties. The Government of Romania finances many projects in the Republic of Moldova directly through DRRM. Moreover, the two states largely share a common language and culture, and the integration of the Republic of Moldova into the EU is a long-term goal of Romania’s foreign policy (the Republic of Moldova signed an Association Agreement with the EU in 2014). However, the total financial amount of the projects will only be known after DRRM has fully populated the database.

According to the action plan, the database would contain data on the official documents used to make financing decisions, the amounts invested, beneficiaries in the Republic of Moldova, (local and central level) financiers from Romania, financing dates, and the degree of completion of the investment. Therefore, the commitment has a clear relevance to the OGP value of access to information.

Potential for results: Modest

The database will provide citizens, civil society, journalists, and decisionmakers in both countries with facts and figures on the extent, quality, and history of development and financial assistance from Romania to the Republic of Moldova. This is important as the online and media landscapes in the Republic of Moldova are often subject to disinformation campaigns targeting public perceptions of bilateral relations between the Republic of Moldova and Romania. [2] As such, the database can result in better fact-checking and more accurate media reporting on projects financed by Romania in the Republic of Moldova. The database could also inspire local public administrations to engage in common projects and offer examples of best practices. Finally, this database could be an important accountability and transparency tool by providing civil society with the necessary investment information to assess and provide recommendations to improve public spending. [3]

The total amount of Romania’s investment projects in the Republic of Moldova will be known only after DRRM has centralized all the data. While it is difficult to estimate the scale of financing and projects, Romania has a long track record of public investments in the Republic of Moldova, and the total financial amount is likely high. Funding has also been provided through a bilateral agreement of a 100-million-euro infrastructure modernization for education, transport, energy connection, environment, and emergency situations. In 2015, Romania awarded DRRM a five-year, 150-million-euro loan for development projects in the Republic of Moldova on media, education, and culture. [4] Other investments include official development assistance, trainings, exchanges of good practices, ministry investments, and local public administration projects. Given the importance that Romania places on the human development of the Republic of Moldova (tied to goal of the latter’s eventual integration into the EU), the database could be a useful tool for tracking projects that account for a significant amount of money.

The IRM considers the potential for results as modest. The results will largely depend on the level of comprehension of the database in terms of the number of projects covered, the volume of relevant documents uploaded, and the usability of the information. The action plan does not specify where this information was published prior to the action plan, but it notes that there was previously no unified database with comprehensive information on all the investments that the government has made in the Republic of Moldova. [5] As noted by a civil society member of the multi-stakeholder forum, this commitment aims to consolidate in one place data that was already available in different locations and formats, as opposed to publishing previously unavailable data. [6] Furthermore, the stakeholder noted that DRRM manages only a small part of the financial aid from Romania to the Republic of Moldova and most of the funds are administrated by the Romanian Agency for International Development Cooperation under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and it is not certain that DRRM will manage to obtain this information and update it regularly. [7]

Opportunities, challenges, and recommendations during implementation

Providing centralized information on all financed projects in the Republic of Moldova could improve transparency on the nature of these projects and assist journalists and others in combating false information. The preliminary version of the interactive map of projects is already available on DRRM’s webpage. [8] DRRM is currently working to improve the user experience and expand map functions. To fully realize the commitment’s potential, DRRM must ensure that the information is comprehensive and presented in a user-friendly way. It may be challenging to effectively integrate the information systems and work processes of the executive government and parliament due to their institutional differences and distinct routines.

The pro-European Party of Action and Solidarity won a majority of seats in parliament in the July 2021 snap parliamentary elections. [9] This could place further importance on Republic of Moldova-EU relations in the coming years and create additional opportunities for Romania to invest in the Republic of Moldova. [10] The ongoing maintenance and sustainability of DRRM’s database may prove important if the number of projects funded by Romania increases.

Ultimately, this commitment’s success depends on how much the intended beneficiaries of the database (citizens, civil society, and journalists) actually use its information. However, civil society from the two countries are not directly involved in the implementation and were not involved in its inclusion in the action plan. [11]

For this commitment to achieve results, the IRM recommends DRRM devote attention to the following:

• Raise awareness about the existence of the database among stakeholders in Romania and in the Republic of Moldova. The database will only be useful if beneficiaries in both countries are aware of its existence. As DRRM completes the database, it could raise awareness in both countries and train stakeholders on how to integrate the information into their advocacy and accountability work. The action plan notes that the communication of this information to the citizens of the Republic of Moldova has previously lacked a systemic approach. [12]
• Ensure that all relevant documents and information for each project are uploaded to the database, including granular data on procurements made from the funds. As of July 2021, the database does not appear to provide the relevant information for each project as stipulated in the action plan. This project information is important for users to better understand the goals, scope, and results. Furthermore, according to a civil society stakeholder form the multi-stakeholder forum, this commitment currently does not address the need for greater transparency, for example by publishing granular data about the procurements made with the money. For an investigative journalist or civic activist, this data is highly important. [13]
• Make the information on the database available in open data format. The current version of the database does not allow for data to be downloaded in bulk and the data is not in open format. Providing the information in open and reusable format can help users understand broader trends in Romania’s projects in the Republic of Moldova.
• Integrate the information on the database into Romania’s national open data portal. In conjunction with Commitment 12 in this action plan, DRRM could consider linking the information from this database into the gov.ro portal, particularly in the section on Romania’s foreign relations.
• Include information on COVID-19 vaccine donations. The government of Romania has pledged to donate 200,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines to the Republic of Moldova. [14] While it is unclear if COVID-19 relief will fall under the scope of the information for this commitment, it could be useful to researchers and journalists to include data on the uptake of Romania’s vaccine donations in the Republic of Moldova.