Draft Law on the regulation of “Sand Boxes” was presented to the Economic Council

The draft law on the regulation of innovative test spaces in the energy sector, also known as “sandboxes”, was presented by the Ministry of Energy to the Economic Council to the Prime Minister, within the working group “Stimulation and maintenance of private investments”, chaired by Ana Groza, Executive Director of the Association of Foreign Investors in Moldova. It is proposed to regulate and introduce into the legislation the concept of “innovative testing space in the energy sector”. These testing areas could be located at the Technical University of Moldova and equipped with the support of Moldova’s development partners. Here, entrepreneurs could test new technologies or approaches to electricity generation, storage or alternative energy supply solutions in a safe and controlled environment. The implementation of the Sand Box concept in Moldova could take place under the conditions of a derogation from national legislation for a period of 7 years, with the possibility of extension for a further 5 years, following an assessment of the Sand Box idea by the Commission for Innovative Energy Regulatory Test Spaces. The draft law on the regulation of innovative energy test-beds is being prepared by the Ministry of Energy with the support of UNDP Moldova. Participants at the meeting noted that the business community in Moldova is waiting for this draft law. The implementation of the law could allow Moldova to become an example in the region for the implementation of energy innovations in the shortest possible time, the participants of the discussion said. At the same time, according to the members of the Economic Council, the presented document requires some adjustments, on which the associative sector will make a series of recommendations in the next two weeks. The secretariat of the Economic Council will monitor the promotion of the document.

The Secretariat of the Economic Council to the Prime Minister is supported by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, funded by the UK Government’s Good Governance Fund, and the International Finance Corporation’s Investment Climate Reform Project funded by the Government of Sweden’s International Development Agency.

The Secretariat of the Economic Council to the Prime Minister is supported by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, funded by the UK Government’s Good Governance Fund.