December 21, 2023
The project “EU4Energy – European Union Support to the Energy Sector in BiH,” in collaboration with the Chamber of Commerce of FBiH, the Cantonal Chamber of Commerce Tuzla, and the Chamber of Commerce of Zenica-Doboj Canton, organized workshops titled “Business Transformation in the Context of a Just Energy Transition – Workshops on Opportunities for Small and Medium Enterprises.” These workshops were held in Zenica on December 19, 2023, and in Tuzla on December 21, 2023, at the premises of the chambers.
The workshops were organized for small and medium enterprises to enhance their capacity to identify and develop new development projects aimed at diversifying their business operations as part of a just energy transition, as well as to find adequate sources of funding for the initiated projects. In the first part of the workshop program, presentations were given by experts from the EU4Energy project, followed by practical work and discussions.
December 15, 2023
Between October and December 2023, experts from the EU4Energy project and representatives from the Federal Ministry of Energy, Mining, and Industry visited municipalities in coal-rich regions. During meetings with local administrations, after presenting the basic principles of a just transition, they discussed the current economic situation and development potentials of these municipalities with mayors, municipal leaders, and their teams. The goal was to plan and initiate activities in a timely manner that would enable the implementation of a just transition.
The mentioned delegation visited the following municipalities: Breza, Kakanj, Gornji Vakuf-Uskoplje, Tuzla, Lukavac, Banovići, Živinice, Zenica, and Travnik-Bila.
October 18, 2023.
Vedran Lakić, the Federal Minister of Energy, Mining, and Industry, met with the team of the “EU4Energy – Support to Energy Sector in Bosnia and Herzegovina” project, managed by the EU Delegation in Bosnia and Herzegovina. According to the Federal Ministry of Energy, Mining, and Industry, the meeting discussed activities related to the development of the concept of a just transition strategy in the Federation of BiH, approach to the development of the strategy, as well as short-term and operational activity plans and communication in this field.
“Developing this strategy is one of the priority tasks facing our country in the process of creating a framework that will enable a sustainable energy transition. We want to contribute to a fair energy transition of the energy sector and fulfill BiH’s obligations to the Energy Community and other international commitments by working together with the EU4Energy project,” said Minister Lakić.
The goal of the EU4Energy project, officially launched in BiH in September last year, is to ensure access to reliable, affordable, sustainable, and modern energy for all citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina, establish a sustainable and competitive energy sector in line with demanding environmental and climate requirements, and thus improve the overall economy, the Federal Ministry of Energy, Mining, and Industry said.
11th October 2023.
In the premises of the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations of Bosnia and Herzegovina (MFTER), on October 11, 2023, a meeting was held between the experts of the project “EU4energy – Support to the EU Energy Sector in Bosnia and Herzegovina” and representatives of MFTER. The discussion focused on the path towards establishing an organized electricity market in Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as integration with the EU market.
A significant step towards this goal would be the establishment of an electricity exchange for both forward and spot trading in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In this regard, the EU4energy project will develop a study aimed at guiding the gradual establishment of the electricity exchange in Bosnia and Herzegovina, step by step. The main objective of this study will be to provide relevant stakeholders in Bosnia and Herzegovina with guidelines for the gradual establishment of the electricity exchange. The study will include legislative, institutional, and organizational analysis.
The overall objective of the project “EU4energy – support to the EU energy sector in Bosnia and Herzegovina” is to ensure access to reliable, affordable, sustainable, and modern energy for all citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as to contribute to fulfilling Bosnia and Herzegovina’s obligations under the Energy Community Treaty, the Paris Agreement, and other international commitments.
25-29. septembra 2023
The EU4Energy project supported the Sarajevo Energy and Climate Week by organizing:
– Two panels on the following topics:
• “Alignment with the EU Emissions Trading Scheme in the Region” moderated by Dr. Janez Kopač, Deputy Team Leader – Senior Energy Expert on the EU4Energy project.
• “Mandatory Oil Reserves: Cost or Security?” moderated by Dr. Branislava Lepotić-Kovačević, Senior Energy Law Expert on the EU4Energy project.
Experts from EU4Energy also participated in the following panels:
-Dr. Corina Murafa, Advisor on Just Transition, participated in the panel “Can and will Western Balkan economies learn from their EU counterparts when it comes to energy transition and its transformation into a just transition?”
-William L’Heude, Deputy Head of the Climate Department at the French Ministry of Economy, Finance, and Recovery, participated in the panel “Impact of Emissions Trading Systems and Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanisms on Power Systems.”
-Isidora Mičić, Senior Market Integration Advisor at Nord Pool, participated in the panel “Liberalization of the Electricity Market, New Market Models Supporting Supply Security and Intensive Development of Renewable Energy Sources.”
-Prof. Dr. Sanda Midžić Kurtagić delivered the introductory lecture for the panel “Development of Circular Economy.”
-Zoran Bogunović, EU4Energy Expert on Public Information and Inclusion, participated in the panel “ENERGY TRANSITION: Sustainability, opportunities, and challenges.
The general goal of the EU4Energy project – Support of the European Union to the energy sector in BiH is to ensure access to reliable, affordable, sustainable and modern energy for all citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as to contribute to the fulfillment of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s obligations under the Energy Community Treaty, the Paris Agreement and other international obligations.
On September 28, 2023. in Sarajevo, during the Sarajevo Energy and Climate Week, the First Annual Meeting of International Donors in the Energy Sector of BiH was held in the organization of the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations, supported by the project EU4Energy – Support of the European Union to the energy sector in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The meeting was attended by about fifty participants, including representatives of the competent entity ministries and the Brčko District Government. The meeting was opened with welcoming words by Assistant Minister Dr. Admir Softić, Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations, and Mr. Stefano Ellero, Head of Cooperation of the EU Delegation in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Dr. Softić greeted everyone gathered and thanked everyone for their response and emphasized the importance MVTEO attaches to cooperation with international donors, while Mr. Ellero pointed out that the cooperation and coordination of international donors is extremely important for assistance to BiH and its energy sector, especially in such a historic important moments for ensuring a regular energy supply, when it is important that all donors stick together and coordinate their activities in an effort to ensure that the support provided to BIH has the greatest possible results.
The international donors present at the meeting, agreed with the proposal of the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations on the need to regularly coordinate their activities with the aim of supporting a successful energy transition and sustainable development of the energy sector in BiH, according to the five principles of effective donor support: ownership, alignment, harmonization, results-oriented management and mutual accountability. The meeting ended with an agreement that such meetings will be held at least twice a year, and the mutual coordination of donors will further intensify.
He stated as important the need for the communication and exchange of experiences of all actors in this complex process, in which the state, entity and Brčko District levels of BiH participate, to continue in the coming period, so that the necessary legal solutions can be adopted in time.The EU4Energy project, which officially started in our country in September of last year, includes, among other things, support for reforms, that is, the establishment of legislative and institutional capacities for the transition of the energy sector. Project activities relate to electricity, gas, oil, coal, energy efficiency, renewable energy sources, including security of supply, as well as environmental protection.
June 6, 2023
Federal Minister of Energy, Mining and Industry Vedran Lakić met today at the headquarters of the Government of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Sarajevo with the team of the project “Support of the European Union to the Energy Sector in Bosnia and Herzegovina” (EU4Energy), which is managed by the Delegation of the EU in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The topics of the meeting related to the fulfillment of the priority tasks facing our country in the process of creating a framework that will enable a sustainable energy transition.
Minister Lakić thanked the experts who presented this three-year project, for their significant support, and expressed his belief in the continuation of successful cooperation on establishing a sustainable and competitive energy sector in BiH, which will be harmonized with EU legislation, as well as in meeting ecological and climate requirements. He informed the members of the team that the FBiH Government submitted a set of proposals for three energy laws to the parliamentary procedure, on the use of renewable energy sources and efficient cogeneration, on electricity in the FBiH, and on energy and regulation of energy activities in the FBiH. He also said that their consideration in the FBiH Parlament is expected soon.
– We are aware that we have a lot of work ahead of us in the coming period when it comes to passing various laws in the energy transition process. Our priorities are meeting the energy needs of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and harmonizing legislation. It is in the interest of our ministry that all legal regulations in this area be arranged in accordance with European legislation, and I am sure that all of us in Bosnia and Herzegovina will continue to cooperate in this direction. The Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina will definitely be part of the solution in these processes – Minister Lakić pointed out.
On April 26, 2023. in Neum at the Energy Summit in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the project EU4Energy – Support of the European Union to the Energy Sector in BiH (eu4enery.ba) was presented to the participants of the summit. This three-year project, which officially began in September 2022, is managed by the Delegation of the EU to Bosnia and Herzegovina, and it is implemented by a consortium led by the DAI company, along with the companies Niras, Enova and Inndego. The direct beneficiaries of the project are: the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations of BiH (at the state level), the Federal Ministry of Energy, Mining and Industry (Federation of BiH), the Ministry of Energy and Mining (Republic of Srpska) and the Government of Brčko District of BiH.
At the beginning of the event named “EU4Energy – Creating the Enabling Framework for a Sustainable Energy Transition”, Stefano Ellero, Head of Cooperation, EU Delegation to BiH, and Admir Softić, Assistant Minister, Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Affairs of BiH, greeted the attendees. After the presentation of the project team and project activities, the program continued with presentations and a panel discussion in which the following participated: Fabio Magrassi, head of the STAM project (Italy), with the topic “Eco hydrogen – the key to the energy transition; Naida Taso from the Secretariat of the Energy Community, with the topic “The Role of the Guarantee of Origin”; Muris Mešetović, expert in renewable sources from the company Enova, with the topic “Unblocking investment in RES in the private sector”; and Bogomil Kandus, EE expert (Slovenia), with the topic “EE in industry (energy management system). The event was attended by over 100 participants, most of whom actively participated in the discussion with the panelists.