Government extends European Courtyard program

European Courtyard program will be expanded to several cities in the Republic of Moldova starting in 2026. Each courtyard will be allocated a budget of five million lei. Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Infrastructure and Regional Development Vladimir Bolea made the statement at a TV show.

According to the official, the European Courtyard is the first national program in which residents decide investment priorities, while authorities fund the implementation.


"We are here to solve people's problems, not to impose solutions. People have decided what is important: playgrounds, sidewalks, parking spaces, green spaces, or accessibility. We fund them, but they set the order of priorities," stated Vladimir Bolea.


He mentioned that so far, 57 courtyards in Chișinău are already included in the program and are at various stages of execution, but the extended list includes 381 eligible courtyards in the capital.


"At the Government meeting, we will include all these courtyards in the unified project document. This represents an official commitment by the Government for their rehabilitation," the minister noted.


In many areas, the old infrastructure under the asphalt requires urgent interventions.


"Many pipes have never been replaced, and if we put new asphalt today, tomorrow teams will come to dig to repair the pipes. Therefore, we will switch to paving stones - a durable and practical solution to avoid destroying aesthetic works," explained Bolea.


Currently, 39 courtyards are under construction, and for 17 courtyards, tenders will be restarted due to a lack of bidders.


"We do not accept compromises on quality. The money is the people's, and the works must last over time. We want, when we leave the courtyard, to see the residents' smiles," emphasized the deputy prime minister.


Bolea specified that the program also includes social measures: ramps, secure doors, canopies, and safe spaces for children.


"The courtyard is where people spend their lives. Our children grow up there, and the elderly rest there. Therefore, the courtyards must be friendly, inclusive, and safe," stated the deputy prime minister.


Additionally, Bolea states that improvised elements like painted tires used as decorations will disappear.


"We cannot judge people - they did what they could aesthetically. But now our task is to provide them with truly beautiful and European courtyards," added the official.


The European Courtyard program, launched by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Regional Development, is intended for the rehabilitation of block courtyards in the municipality of Chișinău and its suburbs.

Thus, each courtyard selected for the program will be able to receive funding of up to five million lei. This amount may vary depending on requests. The money will be used for the modernization of access roads and stairs, installation of street lighting, arrangement of parking lots, playgrounds, urban furniture, access ramps, and other infrastructure works.