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The region, due to a legacy of largely subsidized electricity, technical losses/theft, and poor building standards, wastes huge chunks of energy, both generated and imported. In spite of enormous potential in wind, solar and waste biomass over 50% of the regions energy generation capacity comes from dirty coal burning thermal plants using outdated technology. In the run up to the liberalisation of the energy market on January 1st 2015 the region abounds with marginally economic proposals for massive hydro dams, some in areas of exceptional bio-diversity, many of which are earmarked for energy export to Italy and other EU countries. In fact from a citizens perspective, in a region that consumes several times more energy per unit of GDP than the EU average, the issue of energy efficiency is by far the most critical, and largely unaddressed, issue. This in spite of the fact that the EBRD experts have stated that it is 100,000 times cheaper to save a Kwh of electricity than to generate a new Kwh. Why current energy policy in the region seems to fly in the face of the needs of the citizens and of the protection of the exceptional ecology of South East Europe has been attributed to poor governance, ineffectual environmental legislation and corruption at the highest levels. |
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Energy Community Treaty revision - Policy briefing, February 2014 |
February '14 |
Energy Community Treaty revision |
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In October 2013, the Ministerial Council of the Energy Community decided to extend by ten years the EU-backed Energy Community Treaty, which brings together the Western Balkans, Ukraine and Moldova in order to integrate them with the EU energy market. The original Treaty entered into force in 2006 and expires in 2016. Although it contains some environmental obligations for signatory countries, the Treaty has been criticised by civil society groups for paying relatively little attention to environmental and public health concerns, given the massive impacts of the energy sector in the region. This in turn increases the likelihood of EU countries importing energy produced at great costs to the people and environment in accession and neighbouring countries. The revision of the Treaty is a valuable opportunity to rectify this problem.
Currently, a High Level Reflection Group is evaluating the institutional set-up and working methods of the Energy Community and will report this June with suggested improvements to the Ministerial Council. We urge the Energy Community to take the opportunity to maximize the full potential of the revised Energy Community Treaty in protecting the environment. [Future of the energy community - Policy briefing]
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January '14 |
SEE SEP Energy model |
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SEE SEP is a multi-year, multi-country, EU funded regional programme, which intends to use fact-based advocacy to allow civil society groups to go beyond protest and argue for more citizen friendly EU orientated energy policies in the countries of the South East Europe. A key component of SEE SEP is the development of a publicly accessible energy model to allow decision makers and others to see the impacts of their current and future policies. SEE SEP is in a process of completing the demand-side sectors in energy model. - The 7 countries from SEE region involved in this activity are: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, FYR Macedonia, Kosovo, Montenegro, Serbia - The Lead Partner in the SEE SEP project is SEE Change Net - The Project has 17 CSO partners - The Project, with the support of the UK Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC), is using an energy model called OPE2RA – Open Source Prospective Energy & Emissions Road Mapping - based on the DECC “My 2050 Calculator” - Technical support to train 14 Civil Society researchers in Energy Modeling is being provided by ClimAct who also provided technical support to the recently completed 2050 Pathways Calculator for Belgium |
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January '14 |
Reply From Three Commissioners Regarding SEE SEP Letters |
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After the two letters the SEE SEP network directed towards the Energy Community in October, regarding the Ministerial Council of Energy Community, which took place on October 24 in Belgrade, and the subject of setting up a High Level Reflection Group (HLRG), we received a reply from the three commissioners: Günther Oettinger, Janez Potočnik and Štefan Füle. The commissioners used the letter to elaborate on the different important issues the SEE SEP network tried to raise with the letters. “We share your views on the importance of raising awareness about the work of Energy Community and its benefits among the citizens of its Contracting Parties, and that they take note of the comments, especially on the establishment of High Level Reflection Group (HLRG), the adoption of the list of Projects of Energy Community Interest (PECI) and specific decisions concerning the Large Combustion Plants Directive and the Directive on Industrial Emissions”. |
| [Letter from Commissioners, January 20 '14] |
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