The European Union continues the path of complete decarbonization. In that way, Serbian companies that export to EU countries are now forced to join. In the next two and a half years, they will have to report the emission of carbon dioxide released during production, and then pay an additional tax if they exceed the permitted limits.
For certain companies that import products into the European Union and operate outside its borders, new environmental rules apply from October 1st. Producers of electricity, fertilizers, cement, iron and the like will have to submit regular reports on how much carbon dioxide is released during their production. For Elixir Zorka from Šabac, which exports most of its fertilizers to the European Union, this requires additional costs.
“The process itself works by having to carry out analyzes of the carbon footprint of the full production of a certain product, and in order to be able to report it according to the European Commission, all those reports must also be validated and we work with auditing companies,” says Nenad Ristic, Elixir Zorka engineer.
For now, a report is enough, regardless of the amount of carbon dioxide emitted. However, from January 1st, 2026, all excess carbon dioxide released during the production of this fertilizer will be additionally taxed.
How to reduce carbon dioxide
All this is aimed at reducing the greenhouse effect, where carbon dioxide plays an important role. The idea of the European Union is to reduce the carbon footprint on the territory of non-member countries. In Elixir, they say that they are aware of what is coming and that they are already adapting to European regulations.
Serbia is among the leaders in the region in terms of carbon dioxide emissions. About 70 percent of electricity is produced from coal, according to energy balance reports.
Data from the Environmental Protection Agency show that carbon dioxide is by far the most influential factor in climate change. The year 2026 is not far away, and Serbian companies, private and state, will either adapt to European regulations or pay additional costs.
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