Members of the Public Procurement Monitoring Coalition met in session on Wednesday, 15 October 2025. The Coalition's activity continues within the project “Supporting Moldova’s public procurement reform in the EU accession context”, implemented by IDIS "Viitorul", with the support of the European Union, between September 2025 and September 2026. The project aims to develop a transparent, efficient, and aligned with the European standards public procurement system, thereby strengthening good governance, public accountability, and citizens' trust in state institutions, as well as promoting Moldova's accession to the EU.
At the beginning of the meeting, Carolina Ungureanu, Deputy Director at IDIS "Viitorul" and Project Manager, emphasized that, thanks to the EU-funded project, the Coalition, formed by organizations monitoring public procurement, is consolidating its activities and becoming stronger. "The EU accession process offers the Republic of Moldova the chance to transform the public procurement system based on European standards of transparency, efficiency, and fair competition. This reform requires the active involvement of civil society, which can help modernize legislation, monitor procurement, and ensure the proper use of public money. IDIS "Viitorul" supports the strengthening of civil society's capacities and aims to amplify its voice in this process. Through the Coalition, we have demonstrated that civil society can be a real partner in reforms, contributing to integrity, accountability, and trust in the way public resources are used, and with the support of the EU, we aim to continue this effort", said Carolina Ungureanu.
Present at the meeting, Wojciech Paczynski, program manager at the European Union Delegation to the Republic of Moldova, emphasized the importance of these coalitions for the proper functioning of a democratic and transparent society. He added that the EU supports such initiatives because they increase transparency, strengthen trust between citizens and institutions, and align the Republic of Moldova with European standards in public procurement. He also mentioned that initiatives of this type, which bring together representatives of civil society, public authorities, and the private sector, are essential for fostering constructive dialogue and promoting good governance, even if their organization can be complex and require considerable effort.
During the meeting, IDIS "Viitorul" experts, Silviu Plopa and Diana Enachi, presented an analysis of the mechanism for conducting joint procurements and the barriers to the association process. The experts analyzed the legislative framework and national and international practices to highlight the advantages of joint procurement and identify legal obstacles that prevent contracting authorities from joining forces in procurement procedures. To determine the extent to which authorities are aware of the regulations and mechanisms of association, the benefits of joint procurement, and the barriers to using association, at the initiative of IDIS „Viitorul”, a questionnaire was filled in by over 60 public authorities at the central and local levels.
Diana Enachi explained that joint procurement is a procedure carried out by several public authorities to jointly procure certain goods or services, thereby streamlining the process and obtaining benefits such as more competitive prices and conditions. For example, three city halls with the exact same needs can procure computer equipment through joint procurement. The expert claims that in many countries, joint procurement has proven effective for certain types of procurement. However, in the Republic of Moldova, although the legal framework allows associations to carry out joint procurement, there is no secondary framework, guidelines, or instructions that outline, step by step, what authorities must do if they decide to associate for a specific procurement.
Silviu Plopa emphasized that both contracting authorities and economic agents benefit from the association. For example, contracting authorities with limited budgets can benefit from lower prices, as joint tenders deliver savings by attracting more favorable offers. At the same time, administrative work is reduced compared to organizing separate tenders, saving time and resources. Smaller authorities can also benefit from support from larger ones, thereby increasing the efficiency and quality of procurement.
For economic agents, the advantages include cost reduction, as joint procurement improves supply chain efficiency and reduces transaction costs by simplifying processes and eliminating repetitive activities. They also allow economic agents to consolidate their position on the market, increase their visibility and credibility, collaborate with more contracting authorities, and benefit from larger orders, longer-term contracts, and consistent, predictable income.
"Association in procurement is becoming a current topic. There are more and more activities where this mechanism can be applied. This would solve the problem faced by many city halls and other contracting authorities, which lack sufficient trained personnel to carry out public procurement procedures. This would widely reduce costs, which are the first to be analyzed in a procurement process," said Maria Cojocaru, professor at Moldova State University.
Viorel Pîrvan, an expert at the Center for Analysis and Prevention of Corruption, believes that contracting authorities should consider procedures that can be carried out through association starting at the stage of drawing up the annual procurement plans, so to assess the degree of alignment of priorities with other authorities. He also argues that the process of association in procurement would reduce corruption practices in the field. "It is harder to get along when there are more actors involved," commented Viorel Pîrvan.
Tatiana Melnic, a public procurement expert and monitor, opined that the joint procurement mechanism is a tool that adds value to procurement and has considerable potential to streamline public spending. However, a more strategic approach, supported by training, clear guidelines, and institutional incentives, is needed to make joint procurement a viable and efficient practice in the Republic of Moldova.
Olga Diaconu, project coordinator at the Association for Efficient and Responsible Governance – AGER, presented the Guide on How to Use the Framework Agreement in Public Procurement. This guide is intended for public authorities who conduct procurement and economic operators who wish to participate in framework agreement award procedures, which should be interpreted in accordance with public procurement regulations. It also aims to assist contracting authorities in planning, awarding, and implementing framework agreements. The guide provides recommendations to avoid common mistakes and helps authorities determine whether a framework agreement is suitable for a specific procurement, which type of agreement to establish, and the method for awarding subsequent contracts.
The Public Procurement Monitoring Coalition was established at the initiative of IDIS "Viitorul" on 29 June 2023, in collaboration with the Partnership for Transparency (PTF) from the USA, as part of the "Strengthening Integrity in Public Procurement" project, finished in June 2025. The activity of the Public Procurement Monitoring Coalition continues within the project "Supporting Moldova’s public procurement reform in the EU accession context", implemented by IDIS "Viitorul", with the support of the European Union.
The Public Procurement Monitoring Coalition brings together 20 civil society organizations, investigative journalists, experts, and independent monitors from the Republic of Moldova. The Coalition's mission is to consolidate and coordinate the efforts of civil society organizations engaged in public procurement monitoring, and to foster constructive dialogue with public authorities.
Funded by the European Union with a budget of EUR 60000, the “Supporting Moldova’s Public Procurement Reform in the EU Accession Context” project is implemented by IDIS "Viitorul" between September 2025 and September 2026. Its goal is to build a transparent, efficient, and European standards–compliant public procurement system.
This press release was produced with the financial support of the European Union. Its content represents the sole responsibility of the “Supporting Moldova’s public procurement reform in the EU accession context” project, financed by the European Union. The content of the press release belongs to the authors and does not necessarily reflect the vision of the European Union.
For additional information about the project, please get in touch with the project's communication specialist, Maria Procopciuc, at +37360088544 or at the e-mail address: maria.procopciuc@viitorul.org .
