Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Mining and Energy Zorana Mihajlovic said that four laws in the field of energy and mining, whose proposals were adopted by the Government today, would create a legal framework that would enable new investments, but also turn Serbia towards green energy and green economy.
These are draft laws on mining and geological research, energy, energy efficiency and rational use of energy and renewable energy sources.
According to her, these laws open the door for large investors to work in Serbia together with our public companies.
Citizens, on the other hand, are allowed to be, in addition to being consumers, also producers of energy, to install solar panels on their houses or buildings, but also to replace windows and doors and to have their bills for electricity and heat lower than today.
Mihajlovic states that the proposed legal solutions enable more care to be taken of socially endangered buyers of electricity, gas and heat.
As especially important, as stated in the announcement from the cabinet of Zorana Mihajlovic, she emphasized the adoption of the law on renewable energy sources, which represent the future in the field of energy.
In that sense, Mihajlovic pointed out that it is necessary not only to build new hydroelectric power plants, but also to have more wind and solar power plants, but also to use more biomass in heating plants, which is abundant in Serbia.
She emphasized that these laws will enable the creation of new jobs.
The government has adopted four bills on energy and mining
The Government of Serbia announced that at today’s session, it adopted four draft laws in the field of energy and mining, as a legal framework that will enable new investments and direct Serbia towards green energy and the green economy.
The Government of Serbia has adopted the Bill on Energy Efficiency and Rational Use of Energy.
The aim of enacting this law is to achieve energy savings, security of energy supply, reduce the impact of the energy sector on the environment and climate change and contribute to the sustainable use of natural and other resources.
The draft law, among other things, envisages the establishment of the Directorate for Financing and Encouraging Energy Efficiency within the Ministry of Mining and Energy instead of the current Budget Fund for Improving Energy Efficiency.
The establishment of the Administration will also enable the attraction of EU grants, as well as the funds of international financial institutions, in order to increase energy efficiency, and it is especially important that the funds will be available to citizens.
At today’s session, the Bill on the Use of Renewable Energy Sources was adopted, which should enable new investments in RES and increase the share of RES in total energy production.
The implementation of the law will ensure the protection of the environment, the fight against climate change, the reduction of costs for citizens, the energy transition, as well as the simplification and acceleration of procedures.
Among other things, the new law introduces market premiums instead of the current feed-in tariffs, which are retained only for small plants and demonstration projects, in accordance with EU state aid rules.
The new incentive system will expose producers to the impact of the market and competition, reducing costs for citizens and the economy, while providing a stable and predictable legal framework for investors. The institute of the buyer-producer is introduced, which means that the buyers of electricity, by installing solar panels on the roofs of buildings, produce electricity for their needs, and that they deliver the surplus electricity to the network and reduce the bill for consumed electricity.
The members of the Government adopted the Draft Law on Amendments to the Law on Energy, which will enable this area to be harmonized with the acquis communautaire.
Amendments to the existing law will ensure security of supply and supply of energy and energy sources of the Republic of Serbia, protection of the interests of all market participants, as well as increase competition.
At the same time, conditions will be created for further development and functioning of the organized electricity market, for improving transparency and protection of competition and non-discriminatory behavior.
Also, the amendments to the law introduce, among other things, the notion of an energy-endangered buyer of thermal energy.
The session also adopted the Bill on Amendments to the Law on Mining and Geological Research, which creates conditions for more efficient management of mineral and other geological resources of the Republic of Serbia and increased investment in geological research and mining, ie increasing the share of the mining sector in GDP. The law provides for the shortening of certain procedures and time for obtaining research approval and creates a legal basis for the establishment of e-mining in accordance with the regulations governing electronic business, the government said in a statement, RTV reports.
