Montenegro has met the requirements to provisionally close Chapter 15 of its European Union accession talks, which deals with energy. At the same time, the country is preparing to implement a just transition project in Pljevlja.
The Montenegrin government yesterday adopted an updated Negotiating Position for Chapter 15, agreed with the European Commission. The Ministry of Energy and Mining has said this creates the conditions for the chapter to be provisionally closed at one of the upcoming Intergovernmental conferences with the EU.
With the updated Negotiating Position, Montenegro confirms that it has met the closing benchmarks and made progress in aligning its energy sector with the EU acquis.
An important day for Montenegro’s energy sector
“This is an important day for Montenegro’s energy sector. The provisional closure of Chapter 15 is not just another step in the negotiation process – it confirms that we have made significant progress and are fully aligning our energy sector with European standards and rules,” said Minister of Energy and Mining Admir Šahmanović.
He stressed that the work does not end with the closure of the chapter. On the contrary, he added, Montenegro is now entering a phase in which citizens and businesses should begin to feel the results of the reforms. “The energy system must be more secure, more modern, and ready for new investments, but above all, capable of meeting Montenegro’s needs in the decades to come,” the minister said.
The official closure is expected to take place in Brussels on November 19.
EUR 50 million for Pljevlja’s just energy transition
A just energy transition project will be implemented in the city of Pljevlja, involving the development of a new renewable heat source for the district heating system, an expansion of the district heating distribution network, support for households switching to cleaner heating options, and energy efficiency measures.
The project called Montenegro Just Energy Transition (M-JET) is being prepared in cooperation with the World Bank. It is aimed at developing a sustainable heating system in Pljevlja, improving air quality, and gradually decarbonizing the heating sector.
The project will help achieve the objectives set out in Montenegro’s National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP).
Minister Šahmanović stressed that Pljevlja has borne a large share of the burden of Montenegro’s energy sector for decades and that the city’s residents deserve to be the first to feel the benefits of the energy transition.
“With an investment of around EUR 50 million, we want to take this step forward and offer Pljevlja a concrete, sustainable solution to one of its biggest problems,” he said.
A grant of USD 2–2.5 million will help prepare the project
The project includes technical assistance and implementation support. A grant of USD 2–2.5 million is envisaged to help prepare it by financing a feasibility study, an environmental impact assessment, project documentation, technical and financial analyses, and other activities necessary to properly prepare the investment.
Its implementation will enable the development of a sustainable heating system based on cleaner energy sources, reducing the use of coal in heating.
In addition to financial support from the World Bank, additional grants could be secured through the Western Balkans Investment Framework (WBIF), covering up to 30% of the total investment.
