The Director of the Energy Community Secretariat Janez Kopac presented the Report commending Serbia for managing to largely implement the Energy Community’s legislative framework. Speaking of electrical energy, Kopac said that the Third Energy Packet has been successfully transposed into Serbia’s legal system, that the price of electrical power for homes and small buyers is regulated, but added that Serbia needs to participate in the Coordinated Auction Office in South East Europe (SEECAO), licence EMS for each energy activity separately and resolve the dispute between EMS and the Kosovo energy transmission system and market (KOSTT). Speaking of natural gas, Kopac said that Serbia has adopted the Energy Community regulations, but lags in their implementation, and stressed that the activities of Jugogas and Srbijagas must be separated. The Secretariat Director stressed that the energy regulator must be independent, adding that Serbia has adopted the laws and by-laws concerning oil and made some progress in the field of renewable energy sources. Speaking of climate change, Kopac commended Serbia for being the first in the region to prepare a law on climate change and recommended it should pass a joint national strategy on climate change and national strategy on energy as a single document.

Mirjana Filipovic, State Secretary at the Ministry of Energy and Mining, briefed the attending that the ministry is working on an action plan of separation of Srbijagas, functional separation of EPS, and amendments to the Law on Efficient Energy Use. She said that Serbia has taken a significant step toward integrating into the European energy market by joining the Joint Allocation Office (JAO) for cross-border electricity transmission capacities. On the Serbia-Croatia border JAO is organizing the auctions of long-term and daily cross-border transmission capacities.

The Chairperson then informed the Committee members that the Commission conducting the election of president and members of the Energy Agency Council had concluded the proceedings and on 24 November, the Government forwarded a Decision Proposal to the National Assembly, proposing that Dejan Popovic be elected president of the Energy Agency Council to a period of 7 years, Prof. Dr Aca Markovic and Dejana Stefanovic Kostic Council members to a period of 6 years, and Negica Jankov and Goran Petkovic to a period of 5 years.

The Committee adopted the Proposal of the Decision on the election of president and members of the Energy Agency Council of the Republic of Serbia by majority vote.

The sitting was chaired by Committee Chairperson Snezana B. Petrovic and attended by the following Committee members and deputy members: Dr Aleksandra Tomic, Studenka Kovacevic, Tomislav Ljubenovic, Branislav Mihajlovic, Zoran Bojanic, Dejan Nikolic, Gorica Gajic, Natasa Mihajlovic Vacic, Ivan Manojlovic, Snezana R. Petrovic, Milimir Vujadinovic and Vojislav Vujic.