The Government of the Republic of Moldova has approved a draft law that regulates the creation, management, and cremation procedure within crematoriums. Previously, the absence of appropriate laws prevented the construction of crematoriums for humans within the country, and Moldovan citizens had to resort to crematoriums in Ukraine and Romania.
According to the approved draft, crematoriums for humans can be established by central public authorities, local authorities, or through public-private partnerships.
The norms and standards regarding permits, operation, technical, sanitary, and environmental requirements for crematoriums will be developed, updated, and monitored by the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Environment.
The administration of cemeteries and crematoriums for humans will have the right to provide special places for the storage of urns containing the ashes of deceased individuals (columbaria) to interested parties based on a contract.
Cremation will only be allowed based on a death certificate or other document confirming the fact of death, as well as with permission from the police issued in accordance with the law.
Cremation will be prohibited for unidentified corpses, deceased individuals for whom no death certificate or other document confirming the death has been issued, as well as for foreign citizens who died in Moldova if they do not have permission from the consular office of their country.
The draft law was proposed by Members of Parliament Oazu Nantoi and Marcel Nistor from the Action and Solidarity Party. It is yet to be reviewed and approved by the parliament.
In 2018, a crematorium construction project was developed in Chișinău. The municipal authorities allocated an eight-hectare plot of land near the Saint Lazarus Cemetery for the construction of the crematorium. However, the project to build the crematorium was rejected following discussions in parliamentary committees.
