Regulation On the National Coordination Council for Regional Development

I.                  GENERAL PROVISIONS 

1.       The current Regulation establishes the legal status, the structure, the functions and the operational procedure of the National Coordination Council for Regional Development (hereinafter - the National Council).

2.       The National Council is a functional and general competency structure, without a legal entity status, established in order to approve, promote and coordinate the objectives of the regional development policy at a national level.

3.       Throughout its activities the National Council is guided by the Constitution and the laws of the Republic of Moldova, the Parliament's Decisions, the decrees of Moldova's President, the normative acts of the Government and the Ministry of Local Public Administration, the current Regulation and other normative acts.

II. THE NATIONAL COUNCIL STRUCTURE  

4.     The permanent members of the National Council are:

a)     one of the Vice Prime Ministers, chairman of the National Council;

b)    The Minister of Local Public Administration, vice-chairman of the National Council;

c)     The Minister of Economy and Trade;

d)    The Minister of Finance;

e)     The Minister of Environment and Natural Resources;

f)      The Minister of Industry and Infrastructure;

g)     The Minister of Agriculture and Food Processing Industry;

h)    The Chairman of the North Regional Development Council;

i)       The Chairman of the Central Regional Development Council;

j)       The Chairman of the South Regional Development Council;

k)    The Chairman of the ATU Gagauzia Regional Development Council;

l)       The Chairman of the Chisinau Municipality Regional Development Council;

m)  The Chairman of the Transnistrian Regional Development Council;

n)    The representative of the private sector, delegated on the behalf of the North Regional Development Council;

o)    The representative of the private sector, delegated on the behalf of the Centre Regional Development Council;

p)    The representative of the private sector, delegated on the behalf of the South Regional Development Council;

q)    The representative of the private sector, delegated on the behalf of the ATU Gagauzia Regional Development Council;

r)      The representative of the private sector, delegated on the behalf of the Chisinau Municipality Regional Development Council;

s)     The representative of the private sector, delegated on the behalf of the Transnistrian Regional Development Council;

5.       The nominal structure of the National Council is approved through a Government decision.

6.       Depending on the subject of the projects proposed for deliberations, at the suggestion of the Chairman, other ministers can be invited to the National Council's meetings as temporary members, as well as representatives of donor countries and/or of the EU specialized institutions.     

7.       Members of the National Council exercise their functions on voluntary basis.

8.       The Chairman of the National Council has the following duties:

a)     represents the National Council in relations with the national and international institutions in the field of regional development;

b)    contributes to the wooing of additional financial resources for the implementation of the National Strategy for Regional Development;

c)     summons the ordinary and extraordinary meetings of the National Council;

d)    chairs the National Council meetings;

e)     signs the decisions and the records of the National Council meetings.

III. THE NATIONAL COUNCIL FUNCTIONS 

9.       The National Council has the following main functions:

a)     approves, promotes and coordinates the objectives of the regional development policy at a national level;

b)    approves, promotes and coordinates the implementation instruments of the regional development policy in Moldova;

c)     coordinates the financial mechanisms of regional development;

d)    supervises and controls the usage of the National Fund for Regional Development;

e)     approves the agenda of the National Council meetings.

10.  The National Council has the following particular functions:

1)       in the field of approval and execution of the National Strategy for Regional Development:

a)     approves the National Strategy for Regional Development;

b)    reviews and evaluates the consistency of the National Strategy of Regional Development provisions with those of the  National Development Strategy or similar national strategic planning documents;

c)     monitors implementation process of the National Strategy of Regional Development;

2)       In the field of approval of the Single Programming Document:

a)     reviews and updates the regional development strategies, the annually implementation plans and operational plans;

b)    assesses the structure and the content of the Single Programming Document;

c)     approves the Single Programming Document.

3)       In the field of approval of the evaluation criteria of discrepancies in    

                   the regional development and of national priorities of the regional

                   development:

a)     reviews the evaluation indicators of the rayons', municipalities', towns', communities' and villages' level of development;

b)    approves the evaluation criteria of regional development discrepancies proposed by MLPA;

c)     elaborates and submits to the Government proposals on determining the borderlines and on declaring the disadvantaged areas.

d)    identifies and approves the national priorities of the regional development;

4)       In the field of approval of financing from the National Fund for Regional Development:

a)     approves the Operational Manual on the usage of the National Fund for Regional Development resources;

b)    determines the criteria, the priorities and the procedures of allocating  the financial resources from the National Fund for Regional Development and approves the disbursement plan; 

c)     manages the method of applying the criteria, the priorities and the procedures of allocating the financial resources from the National Fund for Regional Development;

d)    reviews and coordinates the elaboration of the memorandum budget for the implementation of the Single Programming Document;

e)     verifies the destination of the usage of funds allocated from the National Fund for Regional Development;

f)      monitors and approves the accounts' status of the National Fund for Regional Development;

g)     approves the procurement decisions from the resources of the National Fund for Regional Development;

5)       In the field of approval of the annual implementation plan, in compliance with the available financial resources in the National Fund for Regional Development:

a)     reviews and updates the Single Programming Document in relation to the annual implementation plan;

b)    approves the establishment criteria of prioritizing the programmes and projects in the regional development field;

c)     approves the priorities of the implementation scheme, according to the available and/or planned financial resources within the National Fund for Regional Development for the current year;

d)    approves the annual implementation plan, elaborated by the Ministry of Local Public Administration;

6)       In the field of wooing additional funds for the implementation of the National Strategy for Regional Development, the Single Programming Document and the regional development strategies:

a)     promotes and supports the efforts of wooing financial resources, coordinates the donor activities and attracts the available financial resources for the implementation of regional development projects and programs;

b)    supports the interregional, cross-border and other types of cooperation, aiming for the regional development in Moldova;

c)     promotes, supports and monitors the implementation of the regional development policy objectives within the funds that support the cross-border and interregional cooperation within the euroregions as well;

7)       in the field of investments, taxation and credit policies, by means of which regional development is supported:

a)     reviews, updates and/or coordinates the long-term planning of intersectoral development from the standpoint of a balanced regional development and of the inclusion of Moldova  within the  international aid schemes, including:

-       the National Development Strategy;

-       other development strategies and national programs;

-       regional development strategies and operational plans.

b)    coordinates regional development program, sector plans and programmes.

c)     coordinates the development incentives and other forms of supporting the activities that ensure a balanced intersectoral regional development.

8)       In related fields:

a)     Determines the towns to be regional centres, on the basis of the Ministry of Local Public Administration proposals;

b)    exercises functions in the regional development field, in accordance with the international law documents to which Moldova is a party;

c)     elaborates and suggests changes in the structure of the development regions to the Government;

d)    approves and introduces proposals on the transfer of some of its competences to the Regional Councils for Development;

e)     exercises other functions meaning to implement the regional development policies in Moldova.

IV.    THE OPERATIONAL SYSTEM OF THE REGIONAL COUNCIL 

11.  The National Council is a collegiate structure deliberating in sessions. In order to exercises its functions, the National Council adopts decisions.

12.  The National Council meets quarterly in ordinary sessions. Extraordinary sessions are summoned as many times as possible, at the request of the National Council chairman or at the request of at least one third of the permanent members of the Council. 

13.    The Ministry for Local Public Administration carries out secretariat related activities for the National Council through its Regional Development Directorate, the secretary of the National Council being appointed from within.

14. The invitation for the participation in the meeting and the relevant papers are forwarded to the National Council members at least 15 days before - in case of ordinary meetings and at least 3 days before - in case of extraordinary meetings.

15. In the invitation for the participation in the Regional Council meeting will be indicated the date, the hour, the location and the agenda of the meeting, attaching the papers proposed for examination.

16. The chairman of the Regional Council can invite to the meeting other representatives of the public administration authorities, of the donor organizations, of the public associations, experts and other interested people who can take part in the debates about the issues on the meeting's agenda.

17. The invitation of participation at the National Council meeting and the relevant documents are forwarded to the invited people in the same way established for the permanent members of the Council.

18. The invited people take part in the Regional Council meeting and in       the debate of the issues without the right to vote.

19. The National Council session is deliberative if the majority of the permanent members of the Council are present (at least 50 % plus one).

20. In case of unavailability, the member of the Regional Council can      appoint another person from their respective institution or organization to represent him/her at the National Council meeting, with the right to vote as well. The appointing is made on the basis of a mandate or another official document which is introduced to the chairman of the National Council before the beginning of the meeting. The document that confirms the person's responsibilities will be    attached to the meeting's record.

21. The decisions of the National Council are approved with the vote of the majority of the members present at the meeting. If there happens to be a case of parity, then the chairman's vote is decisive.

22. The decisions of the National Council are signed by its chairman in the next 3 days following the date of the meeting.

23. The agenda and the decisions approved by the National Council will be made public by being placed on the Ministry for Local Public Administration web-site.

24. The meetings of the National Council are registered in records, signed by the chairman and the secretary.

25. The archiving of National Council's decisions, records, as well as relevant papers will be ensured by the secretary of the National Council, in the way established by the legislation on official documents.

26. The member of the National Council will not take part in the examination of the issue if there is a potential conflict of interests.

27. The decisions of the National Council approved with the violation of  the provisions of the current Regulation can be disputed following the legislation stipulations.

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