The European Union (EU) has proposed a €30 million emergency assistance package to help the Republic of Moldova address the severe energy crisis caused by Gazprom. This funding will support purchasing and transporting natural gas to Transnistria, restoring electricity and heating for over 350,000 residents until 10 February 2025, and facilitating electricity supply between the Left Bank – Transnistria – and Right Bank.
In addition to this package, the EU will provide financial support to mitigate the crisis’s social impact and lay the groundwork for long-term energy resilience and economic growth in Moldova.
Due to Gazprom halting gas supplies, Moldova faces a significant energy crisis that has adversely affected its citizens’ livelihoods. Since 2021, the EU has provided €240 million in budget support and €67 million in grants to improve energy efficiency and support vulnerable populations. In the current heating season, over 750,000 households have benefited from compensation through the Energy Vulnerability Reduction Fund (EVRF).
Moldova’s electricity grid has been connected to the European network since 2022, and on 1 December 2024, the EU increased its export capacity to Moldova. With EU assistance, the Right Bank has also diversified away from Russian gas supplies, relying solely on EU markets since 2022.
“In the middle of winter, more than three hundred fifty thousand residents in the Transnistrian region are left in the dark and in the cold because Russia decided to stop its gas deliveries,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said.
“We simply cannot accept that people on our continent do not have access to the most basic services. But hard times reveal true friends. That is why we are throwing today a lifeline. We will deliver gas to the people of Transnistria and restore their access to electricity and heating,” the Commission’s President emphasised.
EU package for Moldova’s energy crisis
The assistance package is critical for the Transnistrian region, which has been experiencing a severe energy crisis since 1 January 2025, when Gazprom stopped supplying gas. The region relies on insufficient coal and gas reserves for electricity and heating.
This package will provide natural gas and explore coal deliveries from Ukraine to address immediate needs. The EU also facilitates allocating transmission capacity from Bulgaria and Romania to the Moldovan gas transmission system.
Today’s proposal includes €30 million in targeted support for Moldova. This funding will enable Moldova to buy gas from providers in Ukraine and Europe to supply electricity and heating in Transnistria and the Right Bank.
A broader assistance package is also being developed to support Moldova. This package aims to mitigate the crisis’s effects, reduce energy price pressures, and establish long-term energy stability. It will build on Moldova’s Growth Plan, which is nearing completion.
