On 22 February 2017, representatives of the Moldovan Government, civil society, development partners and independent experts gathered at the Civil Forum on monitoring the implementation of the Association Agreement in the areas of environmental protection, energy security and justice.
As a result of the discussions and conclusions of the Civic Forum, Moldovan civil society organizations released a declaration reiterating the importance of implementing the chapters on environment and climate change of the Association Agreement. The undersigned organizations confirmed their will to get involved in the promotion of EU-Moldova cooperation, and advocated for an independent, strong and reformed Ministry of Environment against the recent proposal to merge it with the Ministry of Agriculture, which follows a different agenda and responds to opposite interests.
To improve the performance of Moldova in the area of environmental protection, it is necessary that the Ministry of Environment becomes a solid institution, standing against the irresponsible exploitation of natural resources to obtain short-term benefits pursued by other interest groups in the country.
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