Ministerial Council of the Energy Community of South East Europe, chaired by the Minister of Energy, Development and the Environment, Professor. dr Zorana Mihajlovic, has adopted an energy strategy that includes a list of 35 projects of regional importance with a total value of around 30 billion euros.
After the meeting, which was held in Belgrade in the Serbian Presidency of the Ministerial Council, Minister Mihajlovic said that the adoption of strategies is important for the whole region, which is facing a deficit of electricity since 2001. She stressed that Serbia has a significant share in selected regional projects, particularly in the field of electrical engineering, where from 14 projects, Serbia proposed seven, with the total capacity of about 2,400 megawatts.
Members of the Ministerial Council made the decision on the extension and implementation of the Energy Community Treaty for ten years, or until 2026, as well as the establishment of a separate group for the reform of Energy Community Treaty, which will be chaired by former Polish prime minister and president of the European Parliament, Jerzy Buzek.
Minister Mihajlovic has pointed to the importance of the directive on the gradual removal of thermal capacities that negatively affect the environment, for which the deadline is set in 2027. According to her, pulling back power plants that do not meet high standards of environmental protection is a process that will take place gradually and allows members of Energy Community to make such energy mix to take advantage of the resources available to them.
She explained that compliance with the above mentioned directive does not mean that Serbia will give up the construction of new facilities such as power plants Stavalj, which will use brown coal and meet high environmental standards, or the closure of facilities such as TENT, which will only do desulfurization.
The Minister emphasized that Serbia’s membership in the Energy Community and the fulfillment of obligations, greatly contributed that Serbia today is almost completely ready to start negotiations with the EU in Chapter 15, which concerns energy.
At the Ministerial Council, representatives of ministries responsible for the energy sector in the eight parties of the Energy Community are gathered – Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Moldova, UNMIK Kosovo, Montenegro, Serbia and Ukraine, and the European Union, represented by EU Energy Commissioner Guenther Oettinger.
With Commissioner Oettinger Minister Mihajlovic spoke before the meeting of the Ministerial Council, together with the Prime Minister Ivica Dacic, and later, on the sidelines of the meeting met with Economy Minister in the government of Montenegro Vladimir Kavaric and Kosovo Minister of Economic Development Fadil Ismajli.
With Minister Kavaric it was agreed that EPS and EPCG continue discussions about restoring electricity that Podgorica Aluminum has illegally taken out of the interconnection system in March this year.
Minister Mihajlovic called Montenegrin side to resolve this issue to the mutual satisfaction, and Minister Kavaric promised that the debt will be settled by March next year.
In an interview with Kosovo Minister, Mihajlovic has expressed satisfaction that, in accordance with the Brussels agreement on energy, reconnecting Substation Valac was performed, which provided a stable supply of electricity in the north of Kosovo and Metohija.
The meeting was attended by the Director of the Energy Community Secretariat Janez Kopac, who expressed satisfaction that the two sides have demonstrated a willingness to solve the problems and discussions in this area.
Source; Serbia Energy
