On 28 January,
representatives of the European Commission and Bosnia and Herzegovina
underlined the high importance of the integration of Bosnia and
Herzegovina in the European energy market.
Deputy Director General for Energy of the European Commission,
Fabrizio Barbaso, Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations of
Bosnia and Herzegovina, Boris Tucic, and the two Prime Ministers, of the
Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Nermin Niksic, and of Republika
Srpska, Zeljka Cvijanovic, discussed energy related matters of relevance
for the EU integration of Bosnia and Herzegovina, a press release read.
They agreed to further strengthen their efforts to reach this
objective, not the least in view of the large potential of Bosnia and
Herzegovina in this field, in particular with regard to the generation
of electricity.
The representatives of the European Commission reminded that Bosnia
and Herzegovina, by signing the Energy Community Treaty, committed
itself to ensure the security of energy supply, in line with Directive
2005/89. The representatives of Bosnia and Herzegovina including the two
Entities confirmed that a well functioning countrywide operating
electricity transmission company is one of the cornerstones to guarantee
the security of supply with electricity of the entire Bosnia and
Herzegovina.
The representatives of the European Commission welcomed substantial
progress reached in making the company functioning, in particular the
ongoing setting up of the management and the finalisation of audited
financial plans, and that there is now a comprehensive agreement of the
Shareholders to make TRANSCO fully functioning.
The Prime Ministers of both Entities and the Minister of Foreign
Trade and Economic Relations commit themselves - within the framework of
their competences - to contribute to the operational safety,
functionality and viability of TRANSCO. The long-term ability of the
transmission network of TRANSCO to meet reasonable demand shall be
ensured. The Prime Ministers of both Entities agreed on the following:
The outstanding tasks of the setup of the (full) new management and the
approval of the 2012 financial report will be completed by 28 February
2014. No more than BAM 100 million accumulated revenues are distributed
to the two shareholders under the current financial exercise. The
distribution of any further accumulated revenues will not take place
before the 10 year transmission network development plan has been
adopted by the Shareholders’ General Assembly and approved by the
Regulatory Authority (SERC).
The Prime Ministers of both Entities agreed that experts of the
Energy Community Secretariat technically support TRANSCO in the
finalisation of the mid-term investment plan and the 10 year
transmission network development plan to ensure Bosnia and Herzegovina’s
compliance with the Energy Community Treaty. These investment plans
will be submitted to the Secretariat before 10 February 2014. The
Secretariat will issue the experts’ assessment by the end of February
2014.
The representatives of the European Commission informed that the EU
funded technical assistance project for the alignment of the legislation
on electricity with EU requirements has been completed at the end of
December. The EU Delegation will make sure that the final report is sent
to the respective stakeholders in Bosnia and Herzegovina. With the
adoption of the required legislation before 2015, Bosnia and Herzegovina
would meet its current obligations in the field of electricity under
the Energy Community Treaty.
With regard to gas, the Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic
Relations will call for a meeting with all relevant authorities within
the next two weeks with a view to coordinating the next steps in order
for Bosnia and Herzegovina to comply with Ministerial Council Decision
D/2013/04/MC-EnC.
The European Commission took note of the ongoing negotiations on an
Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) of Bosnia and Herzegovina with the
Russian Federation on the South Stream pipeline. In line with the letter
of the Secretariat of the Energy Community dated 16 January, the
Commission highlighted the need for the final IGA to be in compliance
with the legal framework of the Energy Community Treaty, in particular
with regard to the principle of third party access and unbundling
between transmission system operation on the one hand, and gas
production and supply, on the other.