Dr Aleksandra Tomic, Chairperson of the Committee on the Economy, Regional Development, Trade, Tourism and Energy, emphasised the importance of the topic stressing that the public hearing aims to point to the possibilities for overcoming regulatory barriers and identifying the obstacles to the funding of biomass production projects. Aleksandra Tomic said that the Republic of Serbia had passed the Energy Law and National Renewable Energy Action Plan. The Committee Chairperson pointed out that there are certain obstacles that need to be overcome such as the legal status of biomass as fuel and procedural regulation of the manner in which soil can be used for biomass. Private-public partnership models are a possible solution to the funding of biomass production projects, said Tomic. She also pointed out that a more efficient use of biomass for energy purposes ensures the country’s energy security, reduces the negative environmental impact and invigorates local economy. The Committee Chairperson concluded that the abovementioned reasons call for public support of the use of this energy source.

Reiner Schelhas, component leader of GIZ programme “Development of a sustainable bioenergy market in Serbia”, said that Serbia has the potential needed to develop a bioenergy market and the Government of the Republic of Serbia is dedicated to the use of renewable energy sources. Schelhas stressed that Serbia could become a leader in the Balkans in the use of biomass. This public hearing is a step toward the exchange of views and finding ways to remove the barriers and improve the conditions for the use of biomass for energy purposes, concluded Reiner Schelhas.

The participants of the public hearing were also addressed by State Secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture and Environmental Protection MA Stana Bozovic and representative of the Ministry of Mining and Energy Rastislav Kragic. Stana Bozovic said that the agriculture and environmental protection sectors are crucial for the transition from non-renewable to renewable energy sources. The key effects for a more efficient use of biomass for energy purposes are the substitution of fossil fuels, alleviation of environmental pollution and climate change, more efficient water management, sustainable management of natural resources and rural development, concluded Bozovic. Rastislav Kragic pointed out that 2015 is important for renewable energy sources considering that the Energy Law has been passed and now is the time to pass by-laws regulating the use of biomass i.e. biofuel.

Energy expert Aleksandar Macura, lawyer Dragoljub Cibulic and the President of the Municipal Assembly of Priboj Sasa Vasilic spoke about the barriers to the sustainable use of biomass for energy purposes in the Republic of Serbia.

The public hearing was attended by the members of the Committee on the Economy, Regional Development, Trade, Tourism and Energy, Environmental Protection Committee, Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management Committee, representatives of the ministries, local self-governments, public experts, as well as representatives of the non-governmental sector, banks and companies.