The Ministry of Environmental Protection has started drafting a new climate change law and has published a baseline document for its preparation. The current law was adopted in 2021.
Representatives of state bodies, businesses, academia, civil society organizations, and other stakeholders are invited to submit comments, suggestions, and proposals by August 21, according to the Ministry of Environmental Protection.
As outlined in the baseline document, new legislation is required to ensure more effective implementation of international commitments and to further align national laws with the EU climate acquis.
The law also aims to establish a suitable legal basis for Serbia’s gradual preparation to adopt new climate policy mechanisms, including the EU ETS
The law also aims to establish a suitable legal basis for Serbia’s gradual preparation for adopting new climate policy mechanisms and relevant parts of EU law. This includes the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS).
The expanded system covers maritime transportation, buildings, road transportation, and additional sectors under the EU ETS 2 framework. It also includes effort-sharing mechanisms for non-ETS sectors, the land use, land-use change, and forestry (LULUCF) sector, the governance regulation, and other instruments designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
As a candidate country, Serbia does not currently participate in the EU ETS. Therefore, a timely legal, institutional, and administrative setup is essential to enable gradual integration, aligned with the EU accession timeline and the specific features of the domestic economy and energy sector, the baseline document reads.
The need for a revised law also stems from significant shifts in the EU legal framework under the European Green Deal and the Fit for 55 package
Of note, the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) entered into force on January 1. It coincided with Serbia’s adoption of the Law on Greenhouse Gas Emissions Tax and Law on Carbon-Intensive Product Imports Tax.
The need for a revised law also stems from significant shifts in the EU legal framework under the European Green Deal and the Fit for 55 package.
The ministry stressed that the proposals outlined in the baseline document represent a starting point for discussion during the drafting process and remain fully subject to amendments.
