On 25 and 26 March 2025, two training sessions were held in Chișinău for state aid grantors, organized within the Twinning Project “Strengthening the Institutional Capacity of the Competition Council for the Enforcement of Competition and State Aid Policy in Line with EU Best Practices.”

Guided by experts from Romania and Poland, the participants strengthened their knowledge of the key elements of state aid. The training addressed the concept of state aid, including its identification and the analysis of its constitutive elements. Representatives of public authorities had the opportunity to discuss essential aspects related to the granting and monitoring of state aid from the perspective of European law and practice. Topics covered included: who qualifies as a state aid beneficiary, the potential effects of state aid on competition, under what conditions state resources are used, and when a support measure provides an advantage to an undertaking.

State aid, by its nature, can distort competition in the market. Therefore, it is crucial for public authorities to correctly apply national and EU legislation to ensure that only compatible aid is granted. A comprehensive understanding of this mechanism is essential for aligning the legislation of the Republic of Moldova with European standards.

Throughout the 27-month implementation period of the project, additional meetings will be organized to increase awareness and improve the application of EU rules in this field by state aid grantors.

The Twinning Project, funded by the European Union, aims to strengthen the institutional capacity of the Competition Council to enforce competition and state aid policy in line with the commitments undertaken by the Republic of Moldova in the EU accession process. The project contributes to the development of the internal market, the assurance of fair competition, the promotion of market integrity, and the protection of consumer welfare.