North Macedonia’s MEMO makes first step towards membership in AIB

North Macedonia’s National Electricity Market Operator MEMO has made the first step towards full membership in the Association of Issuing Bodies (AIB). The Brussels based organization is dedicated to ensuring the integrity and transparency of the European energy market through the standardization of guarantees of origin.

The organization brings together European institutions responsible for guarantees of origin (GOs) such as transmission system operators, regulators and market operators.

The National Electricity Market Operator (MEMO) has become a scheme observer member of the AIB, MEMO said.

According to the update, this is the first step towards full membership in AIB and a prerequisite for the introduction of GOs that are recognized and traded in the countries of the European Union and the Energy Community.

Four Western Balkans’ countries are already members of the AIB

North Macedonia is on the way to join its Western Balkans’ neighbors, namely Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina (the member is Operator for Renewable Energy Sources and Efficient Cogeneration – Operator za OIEiEK from Federation of BiH, one of the two entities in BiH), Montenegro, and Serbia. Albania became a member in May.

The goal is to provide consumers with proof that a certain share or amount of energy is produced from renewable sources, thereby stimulating the further development of electricity production from renewable sources in our country, MEMO said.

Energy Community Secretariat has initiated process for the recognition of GOs from non-EU countries in the EU

These important processes in the energy sector, already established in EU countries, are part of MEMO’s activities, realized through intensive cooperation with the Ministry of Energy, Mining and Mineral Resources and in line with European regulations.

Of note, because EU regulations don’t allow the recognition of guarantees of origin from non-EU countries, a roadmap is being finalized to allow guarantees of origin from the contracting parties of the Energy Community to be recognized in the European Union.

The roadmap sets a list of criteria the parties including Albania, BiH, Kosovo*, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia have to meet.