Energy Administration and Institutions Funds and Programmes
Public Administration
Preliminary Note
The state is constituted as the Republic of Serbia.
Apart from Serbia Proper, the Republic of Serbia also contains two autonomous provinces: Vojvodina and Kosovo-Metohija currently under the interim civil and military administration of the UN, in accordance with United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244.
Serbian Government
According to the constitution of the Serbian Government there are several ministries related to energy and environmental protection.
The Ministry of Mining and Energy is responsible for:
- Geology and Mining Sector
- Electric Power Sector
- Energy Sector
- Energy Balance of the Republic Of Serbia
- Oil and Gas Industry
- Provision of conditions for the operation of public enterprises under its jurisdiction
- Other issues defined by the Law
The Ministry, under its scope of work, is in charge of:
- Preparation of proposals for Government’s adoption of energy legislation regulations and instruments
- Monitoring of situation in the relevant industry, undertaking measures or proposing measures for Government’s adoption.
- Conducting the relevant laws, secondary legislation and regulations (see Energy policy)
- Energy Law (“Official Gazette” No.84/04)
- Mining Law (“Official Gazette” No. 44/95 and 34/06)
- Law on Pipeline Transport of Gas and Liquid Hydrocarbons (“Official Gazette”, No. 29/97)
- Other
Ministry of Science and Environment Protection
Ministry is in charge of:
- initiating, to provide and implement quality issues for rapid and sustainable development.
- overtaking and applying obligations and best available practices in the field of environmental protection on local and global level.
- To decrease CO2 and other harmful emissions
- Provide management of chemicals
- Decrease the pollution of water and soil
- Provide management of hazardous waste
- Provide waste management
- Other
- To initiate and prepare propositions for the state regulatory framework
Relevant Institutions
- Directorate for Environmental Protection
- Serbian Environmental Protection Agency
- Fund for Environmental Protection
Energy Related Organisations
Serbian Energy Agency (SEA)
The Energy Agency was established by the Energy Law, brought in force August 1, 2004. The Agency is a regulatory body i.e. legal entity with all the rights, liabilities and responsibilities stipulated by the Energy Law and other regulations.
Financing
Funds for the establishment and operation of the Agency are provided from revenues obtained from license fees, a part of the tariff for access to systems and use of systems, as well as other revenues obtained from performing activities within its competency in compliance with the Law.
The National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia approves the Financial Plan.
Main Tasks
Enhancing and directing the energy market development principles of non-discrimination and effective competition
Monitoring the implementation of regulations and energy systems operation codes
Harmonization activities of energy entities on providing regular supply of energy and services to customers and ensuring their protection
In order to cope with those tasks, it has been envisaged for the Agency to be an independent legal subject. It will have operational independence from any governmental body, energy subjects, their users, as well as all other legal or physical persons.
Activities
- Approves tariff systems for tariff consumers of power and natural gas, as well as tariff systems for access to and use of the energy transmission and transportation i.e. distribution systems and of natural gas storage facilities and other services (deadline: one year from the date the Agency started its activity)
- Determines the methodology for defining tariff elements for calculating the price of power and of natural gas for tariff customers, including prices of produced power i.e. natural gas for tariff customers, as well as the methodology for calculating the price of heat produced in combined heat and power plants (CHP-combined heat and power production) and delivered to energy entities for supplying tariff customers with heat (deadline: one year from the date the Agency started its activity)
- Determines criteria and methods for determining the costs of connection to the energy transmission, transportation and distribution system (deadline: one year from the date the Agency started its activity)
- Approves grid codes, the energy market code and operation code for natural gas storage systems
- Determines the minimum annual energy consumption needed for obtaining the status of an eligible customer, determines the fulfilment of conditions for obtaining the status of an eligible customer and maintains the register of eligible customers
Entrusted Activities
- Issues licenses for carrying out energy activities and exercises the act on license revocation, under conditions stipulated by the Energy Law - except for activities of distribution and production of heat in district heating plants - and keeps a register of issued and revoked licenses
- Decides upon lodged appeal concerning access refusal by a transmission, transportation i.e. distribution system operator, decides upon lodged appeal concerning the connection refusal by an energy entity, (i.e. failure to pass a decision upon submitted application for connection to the system), as well as upon lodged appeal on access refusal by an energy entity for natural gas storage
Serbian Energy Efficiency Agency (SEEA)
Serbian Energy Efficiency Agency was originally founded by Governmental Decree and started its operation on September 1, 2002. Taking into consideration the current state within energy efficiency issues and renewable energy sources, energy policy objectives, as well as the contemporary practice in European countries, Ministry of Mining and Energy recognized the need for a national agency.
Therefore, according to Energy Law, adopted on August 1, 2004 and with financial support from European Agency for Reconstruction, it has been re-established and thus operating as separate republic organization.
Financing
The operation of the Agency is financed through the budget of the Republic of Serbia. The Agency is direct user of the republic's budget. It also uses EU donations provided through the European Agency for Reconstruction, for partly financing of its programmes and projects.
Serbian Energy Efficiency Agency executes the tasks envisioned by the Energy Law, as an integral part of the overall energy policy, led by the Ministry of Mining and Energy of the Republic of Serbia
Main Tasks
- Drafting proposals for:
- Incentive measures and programmes to increase energy efficiency and the use of Renewable Energy Sources
- Measures for stimulating rational and efficient energy use
- Monitoring implementation
- Technical and other regulations for increasing energy efficiency and criteria for equipment efficiency evaluation in use of energy and method of marking them in line with adequate international regulations and standards
- Providing financial and technical support in the preparation and implementation of priority energy efficiency projects
- Providing financial and technical support in the preparation and implementation of priority energy efficiency projects and consultative, advisory and educational services in promoting energy efficiency.
The Agency acts as an implementation body for sectoral, multi year programs of energy efficiency improvements in:
- Building stock
- Industry
- Municipalities
- Transport
- CHP
- Renewable Energy Sources
- Serbia Energy Efficiency Project, initiated by the Government of Serbia, bilaterally funded by the IDA Credit and local participation
Invitations to Tender and Supply Procurement Notices related to these programmes are published on SEEA's website.
Results
- Thirty nine investment projects resulted from the Energy Efficiency Program in Serbia
- Twenty nine of those projects are under the responsibility of local self governments and rely to public building stock, street lightning, water supply, district heating and renewable energy sources
- Eleven of them have been executed in municipal energy sector, wherefrom: two in the water supply infrastructure, four in the district heating and five in the street lighting field.
- Another sixteen projects relate to public buildings and are under the responsibility of local self governments
- Two co-financed demonstration projects (biomass and small hydro power station) under the Program for Renewable Energy Sources are under realization, as well as feasibility studies for four projects.
- Ten projects rely to Serbia Energy Efficiency Project funded by IDA Credit
Numerous educational programs for local self governments, professional experts from industry, energy audit engineers, energy management and business plans, thus aiding institutional capacity building in Serbia.
Serbian Chamber of Commerce
Serbian Chamber of Commerce is an independent, non-governmental, professional, business association of legal entities and physical persons performing a registered economic activity.
The Energy and Mining Association works under the industry sector of the Chamber. It performs tasks which are of joint interest for energy sector entities.
Scope of work of the Association:
- Development of energy and mining sector
- Research and analyse of market conditions and flows
- Initiation and sub-creating of laws, sub-laws, decisions and regulations, relevant to energy sector
- Monitoring the international funding of Serbian industry
- Monitoring the inflow of foreign investments and overlooking the process of electricity, gas and oil derivates market liberalization
- Initiation and monitoring the incorporation of Serbian industry into regional programs and integration projects
Alliance to Save the Energy / Regional Office - Serbia
The Alliance's Serbia Program was launched in April 2001 with funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The primary goal of the Alliance Serbia Program is to assist Serbia to improve the conditions encompassing energy issues.
REC Country Office Serbia
The Regional Environmental Centre for Central and Eastern Europe (REC) operates in Serbia as an international organisation, following the Memorandum of Understanding signed by the REC and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of FR Yugoslavia in June 2001.
REC Serbia envisions a democratic, developed, and environmentally sustainable society for Serbia and Montenegro as being an integral part of Europe.
REC Serbia follows the REC’s strategic goals, taking into account the specific circumstances of Serbia as a pre-accession country to the EU.
The strategic goals of REC Serbia are:
- To provide high quality, innovative, demand-driven services to stakeholders, aimed at the greatest environmental benefits for both Serbia's and the globe, and to implement sustainable development in practice
- To provide, at and between national and local levels, a neutral platform for dialogue, networking and cooperation among stakeholders and partners
- To maintain the organisation’s independent character through a successful model of governance, international legal status in Serbia, diversified funding and quality of work
- To continue the organisation’s proactive development, thus enabling the delivery of its mission in Serbia’s rapidly changing contexts of political, social and economic reconstruction.
The REC SCG Compendium of Achievements 2001/2004 comprises the main facts about REC CO SCG, its activities, main fields of work and covered topic areas.
Donors for Projects:
- Danish Environmental Protection Agency (DANCEE)
- DEFRA UK
- Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ)
- EC EuropAid Cooperation Office, Unit A6
- Embassy of Netherlands in Serbia and Montenegro
- European Commission
- Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development of the Republic of Germany (BMZ)
- Federal Ministry of Environment of the Republic of Germany
- Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Germany
- Government of the Republic of Serbia
- Italian Trust Fund
- Japan Special Fund
- Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland
- Ministry of Environment, Italy
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Netherlands
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Norway
- SDC, Switzerland
- Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA)
- The Government of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
- UNDP
- UNEP/GRID-Arendal
- US Embassy, Belgrade
- US EPA
- Government of the United States
REC Field Office Kosovo Interim UN Administration
Regional Energy Efficiency Centres of Serbia
In recent years regional energy efficiency centres in Serbia have been revitalized. They bend on universities’ sources in the four larges cities: Belgrade, Novi Sad, Kragujevac and Nis. They closely co-operate with the Ministry of Mining and Energy and Serbian Energy Efficiency Agency.
Upon decision on May 24, 2003 four centres were established as independent units. These are:
- Regional Energy Efficiency Centre Novi Sad
- Regional Energy Efficiency Centre Belgrade
- Regional Energy Efficiency Centre Kragujevac
- Regional Energy Efficiency Centre Nis
Services:
- Assistance with the development and implementation of energy efficiency projects in the field of industry, building stock and municipalities
- Transfer of innovative energy technologies and support in implementation
- Monitoring of the application of existing laws and by-laws
- Preparation and implementation of specific methodologies for collection and processing of data on energy efficiency in the region and elaboration of energy information
- Assistance with preliminary energy audits
- Coordination and co-operation with Serbian Energy Efficiency Agency and other Regional Energy Efficiency Centres
- Direct advising and consulting services to industry and private households
- Organization and performance specific education and training courses, workshops and conferences
Energy Related Funds and Programmes
A number of programmes are prepared by the Serbian Energy Efficiency Agency (SEEA) and will be financed by Special EAR Fund Programme and approved by the Ministry of Mining and Energy. Up to date details on these programmes in the fields of buildings, industry, CHP, RES, Municipalities and Transport can be found on SEEA's website.
Serbian Energy Efficiency Fund
In order to achieve a long - term energy efficiency improvement and energy saving in Serbia on a sustainable basis, the Serbian Energy Efficiency Fund is to be established as soon as possible. Potential contributions to the SEEF funding are:
- Government of the Republic of Serbia
- European Agency for Reconstruction
- International financial institutions (EBRD)
- Bilateral grants from different countries
- Commercial banks
- Reconstruction of Electricity Infrastructure
The immediate and medium-term priority for Serbia is the reconstruction and modernisation of the country’s electricity infrastructure. Numerous projects are being carried on.
Energy Programmes and Projects in the Environmental Field
The principal goals of the policy of cleaner production and waste minimization are as follows: to reduce waste generation; to introduce a low-waste material technology and recycling of waste in interconnected industrial production; to introduce programmes for the enhancement of production along with the reduction of energy consumption; to give importance to the preventive approach by reducing quantities for final disposal either through prevention of waste (by “clean technologies” and lengthening the lifetime of products and device treatments of waste), or by re-use (recycling); and to implement the “polluter pays” principle, meaning that the greatest responsibility for the produced waste lies with the one who produces such waste
Fund for Environmental Protection
Fund for Environmental Protection has been brought in force by Environmental Protection Law (Official Gazette of Republic of Serbia No. 135/04), and started its’ operations on May 25, 2005.
Objectives
Financing and preparation of development and implementation of programs, projects and other activities in the field of protection, sustainable use, protection and improvement of the environment, as well as in the energy efficiency field and renewable energy sources.
Scope of Work
The fund is in charge of financing of development and implementation of programs, projects and other activities in the field of environmental protection, energy efficiency field and renewable energy sources, particularly:
- Expertise of providing, management and use of funds
- Intermediation related to international and local funding of environmental protection and energy efficiency
- Keeping database of programs, projects and other activities in the field of environmental protection and energy efficiency, as well of necessary available finances for their funding
- Incentives, establishing and carrying out the co-operation with international and domestic financial institutions and other legal and physical entities in favour of financing environmental protection and energy efficiency, all in accordance with The National Program and other strategic plans and programs, and contracted international contracts.
