Opening the meeting, the Chairman of the Committee on the Economy, Regional Development, Trade, Tourism and Energy Veroljub Arsic pointed out that over the two years of the coronavirus pandemic a lot has changed in the world. There have been dramatic changes in energy and fuel prices forcing us to make new plans and strategies in order to mitigate the negative economic impact, he said.

Arsic pointed out that Serbia is taking great steps in the energy sector to improve this most important branch of the economy, opining that the adoption of a set of laws in the field of mining and energy laid the foundation of a new energy policy and the implementation of the Green Agenda in domestic energy production. The Green Agenda will provide sustainable development and creation of new jobs in all the sectors of the economy, he said.

Veroljub Arsic also said that work has begun on the drafting of long-term strategic documents, pointing out that our vision is to secure at least 40% of energy from renewable sources by 2040 and become a decarbonised country by 2050.

The Chair of the European Parliament’s Committee on Industry, Research and Energy Christian-Silviu Busoi agreed that the pandemic has drastically changed our lives. He said that it is important to adequately respond to climate challenges, stressing that the energy sector must rely on renewable energy sources and decarbonisation. We must deal with climate change together, through full cooperation between the EU and all of its partners, in order to leave a better world for future generations, Busoi concluded.

The participants of the meeting were also addressed by the Director of the Energy Community Secretariat Janez Kopac who presenting the new rules and regulations adopted in 2021.

The participants were presented the Decarbonisation Roadmap for the Energy Community for the period 2021-2027 and also discussed carbon prices and the carbon border adjustment mechanism.

The meeting was attended by MPs Snezana Petrovic and Zoran Tomic, parliamentarians from Ukraine, Moldova, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia and Montenegro, as well as representatives of the European Parliament and the Energy Community Secretariat.

The Republic of Serbia is signatory to the Treaty establishing the Energy Community, signed in 2005 and ratified in the Republic of Serbia in 2006. The Energy Community Parliamentary Plenum was established by the Energy Community Ministerial Council Decision of 2015 and consists of two representatives from each national parliament of the signatories of the Treaty establishing the Energy Community and 16 members of the European Parliament.

The Energy Community Parliamentary Plenum assesses the implementation of the Energy Community Treaty, takes actions to support the implementation of the Treaty and the attainment of its objectives and works towards the strengthening of the democratic legitimacy and transparency of the Energy Community process.