Project title: Support to the Moldovan Parliament Standing Committees;

Implementation period: April 14, 2011 – December 15, 2011;

Funded by: Council of Europe / Delegation of the European Union in Republic of Moldova;

Project goal: The key goal of this project was to provide expert-level consultancy services to the Parliament of Republic of Moldova parliamentary standing committees to support the Moldovan Parliament's law-making, representation and oversight functions;

Main activities:

• Prepare knowledge products, such as studies, analyses, assessments, policy papers and others requested by the Standing Committees of the Moldovan Parliament;
• Provide assistance in drafting legislative documents per written requests from Standing Committees Chairs;
• Organize public debates on draft legislation, public hearing, etc.;
• Organize round-tables, seminars and/or trainings on topics suggested by Parliamentary Standing Committees’ Chairs;

Main outputs and outcomes:

• Policy study “R&D sector in Moldova: is a reform necessary?”, authors Valeriu Prohnițchi and Ana Popa; beneficiary - Committee for Economy, Budget and Finance;
• Policy brief “Program for development of market infrastructure for food products and allocation of land plots for creation of Agrifood Center: motivations and implications”, author Valeriu Prohnițchi; beneficiary Standing Committee for Economy, Budget and Finance;
• Policy brief “On hostile corporate takeovers in Moldova”, author Valeriu Prohnițchi; beneficiary Standing Committee for Economy, Budget and Finance;
• Policy study “The phenomenon of hostile corporate takeovers in Moldova: analysis of key determinants in the legislation”, author Viorel Chetrușca; beneficiary Standing Committee for Economy, Budget and Finance;
• Policy study “Impact of Future Accession of Romania to the Schenghen Area on Republic of Moldova”, authors Alex Oprunenco and Denis Cenușa; beneficiary Standing Committee for Foreign Policy and European Integration;
• Policy study “Moldovan Fuels' Market: Assessment of the Regulatory Framework, Competition and Price Formation”, author Adrian Lupușor; beneficiary Standing Committee for Economy, Budget and Finance;
• Policy study “Moldovan border: problems and solutions”, author Eugen Revenco;  beneficiary Standing Committee for Foreign Policy and European Integration;
• Policy study “Feasibility of Liberalization of the Mandatory Health Insurance System in Moldova”, author Ana Popa and Veaceslav Cernica; beneficiary Standing Committee for Economy, Budget and Finance;
• Policy study “Fiscal mechanisms for encouraging philanthropy”, author Elena Culiuc; beneficiary Standing Committee for Culture, Education, Research, Youth, Sport and Media;
• Policy study “Analysis of the experience in implementation of the Social Aid Law”, authors Veronica Sandu and Alexandru Sinchetru, beneficiary Standing Committee for Health, Social Protection and Family.

Project impact:

This project has enabled an enhanced cooperation between civil society and the country's supreme forum - the Parliament. As a result of this project, a series of reforms were initiated (such as the reform of the state policy for research and development and the reform of the fiscal instruments to support philanthropy). Other initiatives that would have negative economic and social impacts were stopped as result of the analysis conducted in this project (such as reviewing social welfare policy principles, liberalization of the mandatory health insurance market, the decision to invest public money to create a Food Center, which should be a purely private project). The project informed MPs about the risks associated with the hostile corporate takeovers phenomenon and argued the need for urgent legislative interventions to stop it. Due to this project, MPs were informed about the problems pertaining to the state border management and how to manage the consequences of Romania's accession to the Schengen area for Moldovan citizens. Serving as a positive example, the project will help to intensify cooperation between the Moldovan Parliament and civil society in the long term.