By the end of 2024, businesses in Moldova will be able to test new energy technologies in dedicated regulatory sandboxes

On September 20, 2024, the Ministry of Energy presented new regulations for these sandboxes to the business community and government agencies. The first document outlines the responsibilities, structure, and organization of the Commission for Innovative Testing Grounds in the Energy Sector, a permanent inter-institutional collegiate body without legal personality that manages and oversees the implementation of innovative testing projects.

The second regulation is set to establish the procedure for initiating, reviewing, and approving innovative testing projects, as well as the selection process for participating in the innovative testing ground. According to Cristina Pereteatcu, the State Secretary of the Ministry of Energy, after public consultation, these regulations will be submitted to the Government for approval, so that by the end of this year, the first energy regulatory sandbox in the region can be launched. It could operate within the Bălți Free Economic Zone.

The platform of the Economic Council to the Prime Minister of the Republic of Moldova has hosted constructive discussions on the concept and draft law on implementing the legal framework for regulatory sandboxes, facilitating an open dialogue between the Ministry’s leadership, the Economic Council Secretariat, and its members. In innovative technology testing centers, known as regulatory sandboxes, entrepreneurs test new energy technologies.

The Republic of Moldova is the first country to launch innovative testing grounds in the energy sector.

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.