BiH to change environmental permits of two new power plants to comply with EU’s Directive

The Energy Community Secretariat and authorities of Bosnia and Herzegovina agreed to amend the environmental permits of thermal power plants (TPP) Banovići and Tuzla 7 in order to comply with the European Union’s Industrial Emissions Directive (IED).

The environmental permits were the subject of cases ECS-16/16 and ECS-17/16 against Bosnia and Herzegovina regarding incompliance with Energy Community acquis, Energy Community Secretariat said in a statement.

BiH is in the procedure of building two coal-fired power plants in cooperation with Chinese partners.

In July 2017, the Secretariat and the authorities of Bosnia and Herzegovina signed a Settlement Agreement regarding the environmental permits of two planned large combustion plants (TPP Banovici and TPP Tuzla 7).

“As a result of the successful mediation, the Parties agreed to change the environmental permits of TPP Banovići and TPP Tuzla 7 in order to comply with the relevant requirements of Chapter III and Annex V of Directive 2010/75/EU on industrial emissions for new plants.

Chapter III sets Special provisions for combustion plants while Annex V deals with emission limit values and minimum rate of desulphurisation,”, Secretariat said.

The Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations of Bosnia and Herzegovina sent the final versions of the environmental permits of both installations to the Secretariat for review.

“The Secretariat assessed the two environmental permits and decided not to initiate dispute settlement procedures against Bosnia and Herzegovina in this regard”, Secretariat said.

Industrial Emissions Directive is the main EU instrument regulating pollutant emissions from industrial installations.

Based on Energy Community’s Ministerial Council Decision only Chapter III, Annex V, and Article 72(3)-(4) of Directive are applicable in the Energy Community.

The ministers also agreed that in the case of new plants, Contracting Parties of Energy Community have to implement the provisions of the IED as of 1 January 2018.