Activity Information was presented by Prof. Dr Zorana Mihajlovic, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Mining and Energy, who at the very beginning of the presentation, highlighted the excellent cooperation with both the parent committee and the National Assembly in the previous period. Minister Mihajlovic pointed out that the ministry is trying to implement the energy policy on three fronts.

The first front is normative activities, she said, emphasising that changes in Serbia’s energy policy and energy transition are expected this year, through amendments and modifications of the existing legislation. She pointed out that amendments to the law on energy, the law on mining and geological research, as well as two new laws – the law on energy efficiency, rational use of energy and the law on renewable energy sources, will soon be submitted to the parliament.

The second front is the need to reform the most important companies: Srbijagas and Elektroprivreda Srbije. She said that the separation of activities at both companies is expected by the end of May, with the proviso that in the case of Srbijagas, more time would be needed.

The third front is capital investments. She pointed out that it is very important to make a good plan for the use of capital investments and added that the value of the investment programs is around 10.5 billion EUR in all areas of the energy and mining sector. The most important thing is to establish priorities, both in the energy and gas sectors, i.e. to determine which investment projects should be implemented first. She also pointed out a very important fact - that no decision can be made on any investment, restructuring or adoption of a new law if it is not related to environmental protection. According to the Minister, the goal is for Serbia to become “green” in the coming years, to start producing green electricity through the use of solar power plants, solar panels, wind power plants and biomass.

She also stressed that the new law on renewable energy sources would also include one new provision, that is that each building, company, house, sports hall and factory have solar panels installed to ensure the increased production of green power and reduce the cost of power obtained from dirty sources.

After a constructive debate, the members of the Committee unanimously adopted the Ministry of Mining and Energy Activity Information for the period October-December 2020.

In the continuation of the sitting, the Director of the Energy Community Secretariat Janez Kopac began a virtual presentation of the Energy Community Secretariat’s Annual Report on Serbia’s progress in the implementation of energy regulations. Due to technical difficulties, the presentation was interrupted, and the sitting will de continued on 10 March 2021.

In addition to the Minister of Mining and Energy Prof. Dr Zorana Mihajlovic, the sitting was also attended by ministry representatives, as well as the President of the Energy Agency of the Republic of Serbia Dejan Popovic accompanied by members of the Council.

The sitting was chaired by Committee Chairman Veroljub Arsic and attended by the following Committee members and deputy members: Dr Aleksandra Tomic, Dragomir Karic, Branimir Jovanovic, Nenad Krstic, Adrijana Pupovac, Vesna Stambolic, Snezana Petrovic, Natasa Ljubisic, Zoran Tomic, Ivana Popovic, Ana Beloica, Snezana Paunovic and Vojislav Vujic.