PARTNERSHIP PROJECT BETWEEN SERBIAN AND SLOVAK REGULATORS

BELGRADE, June 19, 2012 – The Energy Agency of the Republic of Serbia (AERS) initiated the realisation of the Twinning project, aimed at capacity building of the Serbian energy regulatory body so as the commitments assumed under the new Energy Law, EU accession process and the Treaty establishing the Energy Community could be fulfilled.

The experts representing the Twinning partner of AERS - the Slovak Regulatory Office for Network Industries (URSO) will transfer their knowledge and experience to the experts from the Serbian regulatory Agency during the eighteen month Project.

On June 19, during the ceremony of the official start of the project, the President of AERS Council, Ljubo Maćić said that the 2011 Energy Law expanded the jurisdiction of AERS. He added that this €1.5 million Project represented the support to the fulfilment of these commitments as well as to the preparation for the new jurisdiction areas which will be asigned to the AERS through the new amendments to the Law which will be transposed by the so called the Third EU Energy Package into the legal system of Serbia.

Maćić stated that the Project “Capacity Building for the Energy Agency of the Republic of Serbia” was aimed at the capacity building in the fields of price regulation, national and regional market development, application of smart meter systems and supply quality monitoring, renewable energy sources and upgrade of organisational and management capacity.

Head of Operation of the Delegation of the European Union to the Republic of Serbia, Jose Antonio Gomez stated that Serbia made significant progress in terms of creation of legal and institutional framework for the liberalisation of the energy market. The establishment of a fully operational Energy Agency with expanded jurisdiction stipulated by the new Law was one of key results.

In making analysis of Serbia’s application for the EU membership, the European Commission clearly pointed out the good work of the Agency, Gomez said. However, he stressed that Serbia would face great challenges on its path of full implementation of the “Third EU Energy Package” and full energy market opening, with the policy reflecting realistic operational costs and the commitments related to renewable energy sources and energy efficiency.