130 institutions from Moldova join the "EAST GATE"
A new cross-border cooperation structure is being established in the region. On Friday, September 11, in Constanta, Romania, the Republic of Moldova, Romania, Ukraine, and Bulgaria signed the founding documents for "EAST GATE," which will become the largest European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation (EGTC). This new entity will unite approximately 300 public authorities, universities, and research institutions, covering a territory of 150,000 square kilometers and serving a population of over 10 million residents.
The initiators claim the new structure will elevate relations between the participating communities to a more stable, strategic level.
The ceremony in Constanta included the signing of the draft Constitutive Convention and Statute of the EGTC "EAST GATE", as well as the Declaration of Constanta. The structure brings together administrations and institutions from Romania and Bulgaria, member states of the European Union, as well as the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine.
For the Republic of Moldova, the EGTC "EAST GATE" marks a new stage after more than two decades of cross-border cooperation. The Consul General of the Republic of Moldova in Iași, Ion Coșer, explained that the projects carried out so far have helped build trusting relations between local administrations, but the new regional realities require deeper collaboration.
“Our administrations have learned to work together within these projects, they have become partners, they have started to look at the border not just as a delimitation, but as a space of common opportunities. This is perhaps the most important infrastructure that we have built in these years - the infrastructure of trust between local public authorities”, Ion Coșer mentioned at the event.
The consul linked the new initiative to the changes the region is going through, including the European integration process of the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine, as well as the growing importance of the Danube and the Black Sea region for connectivity, security and energy.
“We need not only joint projects, but a stronger institutional capacity to think and build together. We need our authorities to look beyond the duration of a single project or a single financing cycle. We need a common vision on the development of this region”, stated the representative of the Republic of Moldova.
The consul said the EGTC "EAST GATE" will not replace existing European instruments but will complement them, offering authorities a permanent framework for identifying and developing joint projects.
"Simply put, programs finance projects, institutions build relationships, and at the same time we need both", emphasized Ion Coșer.
Another key aspect is the European dimension of the new structure. According to the official, the fact that it brings together approximately 300 local public authorities from four states, including 130 from the Republic of Moldova, demonstrates strong interest in a permanent cooperation mechanism.
However, the results will determine the project's real value, the consul noted. In this context, the objective is for the EGTC to contribute to initiatives that go beyond a single funding cycle and allow regions to establish common priorities for the coming decades.
"This is the difference between cooperation based exclusively on projects and cooperation that becomes truly strategic. European integration is not built only in capitals and is not achieved only through high-level decisions. Europe is built with you, it is built in regions, it is built in cities and communities, it is built through infrastructure, through exchanges between people, through cooperation between administrations and through joint projects", declared Ion Coșer.
The European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation (EGTC) is a legal framework that enables authorities and other public bodies from multiple countries to collaborate within a unified structure. Once it obtains legal personality, the EGTC can develop and implement joint projects and participate in European funding mechanisms, including opportunities linked to the European Regional Development Fund.
For the “EAST GATE” EGTC, legal personality is anticipated to be acquired in the first quarter of 2027. Following this, the organization aims to secure European funding for projects in various sectors such as infrastructure, connectivity, regional development, education, research, and community development.
The mission of the “EAST GATE” EGTC is to foster cooperation among member authorities from Romania, the Republic of Moldova, Bulgaria, and Ukraine in areas of shared strategic interest. These areas include regional connectivity, the environment, health, education, digitalization, economic development, cultural heritage, and emergency management. The formal registration process for the grouping is expected to be completed this autumn.
