More than 120 localities, represented by 62 municipalities involved in the voluntary amalgamation process, will benefit from support provided through the PACE Local Project, funded by the Government of Sweden and implemented by SALAR International. The assistance provided will contribute to the successful completion of the initiated amalgamation process and to strengthening the new administrative-territorial entities so that they can develop local communities and provide better public services to citizens, in line with European best practices.
The more than 120 localities, home to over 110,000 citizens, are organized into nine clusters which, upon completion of the amalgamation process, will be registered as nine new administrative-territorial units. The supported clusters were selected through an open competition held recently.
Today, the communities signed grant agreements under which each cluster will receive financial assistance, technical support, and mentoring worth approximately EUR 80,000 through the PACE Local Project. The support provided will be directed towards the elaboration of technical projects for the construction or modernization of road infrastructure, water supply and sewerage systems, as well as towards the preparation of strategic documents required by the new administrative-territorial entities to access funding and implement investment projects for the development of member localities.
At the same time, the support provided by the Government of Sweden includes investments aimed at increasing energy efficiency in rural localities, with the goal of reducing the pressure of high costs on local budgets.
PACE Local will also support localities in establishing Unified Service Delivery Centers (CUPS) to ensure efficient interaction between citizens and local public authorities and to facilitate access to public services after amalgamation and the transfer of local administration to a new administrative center.
Among the clusters benefiting from support are also the largest clusters currently undertaking voluntary amalgamation, such as the Municipality of Ungheni together with 10 other municipalities representing 22 localities, and the Town of Călărași, which brings together 16 municipalities representing 22 localities.
The PACE Local Project initiative, supported by the Government of Sweden, assists local public administrations in their efforts to become more efficient, better organized, and more capable of delivering high-quality public services tailored to citizens’ needs, by strengthening administrative capacities and leveraging the synergies created through the voluntary amalgamation process.
