Đokić: We expect EU to accept request to postpone CBAM implementation

Minister of Energy and Mining of the Republic of Srpska Petar Đokić expressed belief that the European Commission would postpone the implementation CBAM, set for January 1, 2026.

Minister Petar Đokić participated in the Energy Week Western Balkans 2025 conference, where he recalled that the Republic of Srpska has signed several contracts with domestic and foreign partners for the construction of renewable power plants totalling 2,170 MW. The investments are estimated at BAM 5 billion (EUR 2.56 billion).

Đokić noted that the construction of two hydropower plants, of 159 MW and 34 MW, is underway, as well as of the Buk Bijela hydropower plant, in cooperation with Serbia.

Đokić: The rest of the world no longer follows European politics

So far, two contracts have been signed for the construction of wind farms, of which one is in an advanced stage of construction, he underlined. The plan is to complete all contracted projects within three years, according to Đokić.

It will further increase the share of clean energy in total production.

He highlighted the challenges posed by the European Union’s policies, including the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), a cross-border emissions tax. Its application could have a very negative impact on the local economy, Đokić noted.

As the rest of the world no longer follows European policies, the question arises whether Europe has the right to impose new obligations on its members, especially if such obligations cause economic disruptions, he claimed.

Đokić: The request of the Republic of Srpska to postpone the implementation of CBAM is justified

Đokić said that the request of the Republic of Srpska to postpone the implementation of CBAM is justified. According to him, Bosnia and Herzegovina has fulfilled the last condition, the adoption of the law on the electricity regulator, transmission, and market, as it is now in parliamentary procedure.

CBAM brings fees on the CO2 emissions of goods imported to the EU from countries that don’t have equivalently priced carbon schemes. They include the Western Balkans.

The tax will cover cement, iron and steel, aluminum, fertilizers, electricity, and hydrogen.

Serbia, which is also part of the Western Balkans region, launched public consultations last week on its draft Law on Greenhouse Gas Emissions Tax and the Law on Carbon-Intensive Product Imports Tax.

Đokić spoke at a panel with Minister of Energy and Mining of Montenegro Admir Šahmanović, Ambassador of Italy to Montenegro Andreina Marsella, President of the Energy Agency of the Republic of Serbia (AERS) Dejan Popović, and co-founder and managing partner of Alcazar Energy Daniel Calderon.