Congress of Local Authorities of Moldova opposes amalgamation methodology changes

The Congress of Local Authorities of Moldova (CALM) has issued a negative advisory regarding a government draft aimed at amending the Methodology for the voluntary amalgamation of administrative-territorial units (HG no. 925/2023).

CALM argues that the proposed changes would centralize funds and undermine local autonomy, which they claim contradicts the Constitution. Under the new project, resources for infrastructure and local budgets would be managed by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Regional Development through Regional Development Agencies (ADRs) rather than the local units themselves.

Key concerns raised by the organization include the potential for increased political dependency, the disadvantage of small and rural units due to new project implementation criteria, and the lack of clear procedures for contesting the unilateral termination of contracts by ADRs. CALM is calling on the State Chancellery and the Ministry to withdraw the project in its current form to protect the principle of non-retroactivity and the legitimate expectations of units that have already undergone amalgamation.