Canadian company REV energy permit was canceled for hydro power plants construction on the river Lim, HPPs Brodarevo 1 and 2. Administrative Court of Serbia decided in favor of non-governmental organizations that seek to participate in process of giving energy permits to that investor. REV estimates this decision as absurd and prepares an appeal. Administrative Court says that process was legal.
Decision of Administrative Court is final. Energy permit that previous government gave to the REV was canceled. However, Canadian investor claims that this decision refers to energy permit that expired in 2011. Year, and not on the permit that also got from the previous government in January 2012.
“We have to do something. This decision, no matter how absurd looks, can cause large damage to us”, says deputy director of REV in Serbia, Milan Cusic.
According to him, decision refers to energy permit and it was adopted when this permit already expired.
“Why all this happened it is not clear to us. But we will certainly make an effort and seek for the justice in Court of cassation”, states Cosic.
In coalition of non-governmental organization from Brodarevo and Prijepolje say that process of getting energy permits is full of illegitimacies and that they submitted several complaints.
“If it was true that someone presumed to issue new energy permit in the end of January 2012. without existing study of environment influences and accordance with it, than it was crime”, states legal representative of NVO in Brodarevo case, Sreten Djordjevic.
On other side, REV is worried that decision was made without their presence, about what, say, they entered over public networks. For six years, as long they existed in Serbia, they changed address three times because of business extension.
Director of REV for Serbia, Miljana Vidovic, states that they were surprised in this company, because court did not send them any explanation, any call.
“We bought both, private land and all that we needed for constructive permit. We are always legally register in Agency for economy registers, where is our direction and it is easy to find us”, says Vidovic.
Administrative Court states that they properly sent complaints and calls for oral public discussion and solutions. They first sent complaint to the address that was in documents of competent ministry, and then they sent court caller on other address from Agency for economic registers. On both side, say, there was not that company, so returned letter, marked as “moved away from this address”, they put on the notice board in the Court.
As stated in the announcement, according to the regulations from Low on Civil procedure and Administration Taxes Low, with letter displacement from notice board, the court found that procedural presumptions were completed and that hearing, appointed for 23. April 2013. could be hold, because its maintaining did not delay dismiss of one properly called part for oral public discussion.
Until now Canadian company REV did the Feasibility study for two hydro power plants on Lim, Brodarevo 1 and 2 and invested 17 and a half MEUR. Behind that job stands Canadian- American capital. Coalition of non-governmental organizations objects to that investment, because of environmental protection.
Source; Serbia Energy/RTS
