First off, the Director of the Energy Community Secretariat Janez Kopac reminded the attending that the Energy Community is an international organization founded in October 2005 in Athens and now comprises the EU and nine contracting parties.

He went on to present the Energy Community’s chief goals, its mission being to:

1. establish a stable regulatory and market framework capable of attracting investment in power generation and networks which is key for economic growth and social stability;
2. create an integrated energy market allowing for cross-border energy trade and integration with the EU market;
3. enhance the security of supply
4. improve the environmental situation; and
5. develop competition at regional level and exploit economies of scale.

The Energy Community is pleased by Serbia’s results as regards the introduction of appropriate legislation, said Kopac, adding that it is the Community’s goal to switch to renewable energy sources by 2050 as we are slowly leaving behind the era of coal.

He went on to brief the Committee members on the legislative framework and implementation of certain regulations by the contracting parties. He underlined Serbia’s successful implementation of regulations in the electric power sector and sector of energy efficiency, adding that the implementation in the sector of statistics is almost complete. Implementation in the sectors of natural gas, oil and infrastructure is moderate.

Kopac proceeded to inform the Committee members about the part of the Report concerning electric power, natural gas, oil, infrastructure, climate and environmental protection.

They spoke about the separation process of Srbijagas which is supposed to be completed by 1 October 2019.

Speaking of renewable energy resources, it was noted that Serbia’s use of these oscillates due to an increase in overall energy consumption and it was deemed that the sphere requires further investment.
Minister of Mining and Energy Aleksandar Antic said that the Energy Community Secretariat’s Annual Report is positive, with certain suggestions and recommendations for some corrections which the Secretariat is supposed to acknowledge in the coming period. Antic highlighted the excellent cooperation between the Serbian Government, relevant Ministry and the Secretariat and praised the work of the National Assembly and its competent Committee. With the help of the Secretariat, Serbia will invest maximum efforts to successfully complete the implementation, said the Minister adding that compared to the starting year of 2009 Serbia’s overall energy consumption had gone up by 16% solely due to new industrial consumers. Antic also said that in the coming period Serbia will focus on creating the conditions to increase the production of energy from renewable resources.

Director of Srbijagas and MP Dusan Bajatovic, President of the Council of the Energy Agency of the Republic of Serbia Dejan Popovic and MPs Gorica Gajic, Zoran Bojanic and Snezana Paunovic also spoke at the sitting.

Finally, Committee Chairperson Snezana B. Petrovic noted that this is the sixth time the Committee has deliberated on the Energy Community Secretariat’s Annual Report, adding Serbia has progressed a great deal in the implementation of regulations and the cooperation with the Secretariat will continue in the interest of Serbia as signatory of the Energy Community Treaty.

The sitting was chaired by Committee Chairperson Snezana B. Petrovic and attended by the following Committee members and deputy members: Aleksandra Tomic, Stanislava Janosevic, Studenka Kovacevic, Tomislav Ljubenovic, Zoran Bojanic, Gorica Gajic, Milimir Vujadinovic, Snezana R. Petrovic, Vojislav Vujic, Snezana Paunovic and Ana Carapic.