Serbia passes law on unbundling gas, electricity transmission system operators

The National Assembly of Serbia adopted the changes to the Law on Energy, opening the way for the establishment of an independent commission that would oversee transmission system operators for electricity – EMS, and gas – Transportgas.

Serbia is a step closer to fulfilling obligations that it accepted as an Energy Community contracting party, with regard to the European Union’s Third Energy Package. The National Assembly of Serbia today passed the changes to the Law on Energy, which means it now has a task to establish an independent Republic Commission for Energy Networks.

Parliament gets more responsibilities in energy sector

Before the vote, Minister of Mining and Energy Dubravka Đedović explained that the new body would assume jurisdiction, instead of her ministry, over state-owned electricity and gas transmission system operators or TSOs Elektromreža Srbije (EMS) and Transportgas, respectively. It will make it possible for the two companies to be finally certified by he Energy Agency of the Republic of Serbia (AERS) and European regulatory bodies, she noted.

The new legislation reduces the responsibilities of the government and increase the responsibilities of parliament over electricity production, distribution and supply, Đedović pointed out.

Statuses of two TSOs to be formally confirmed

The changes to the Law on Energy, which were introduced with the aim to harmonize the domestic legal framework with the EU’s acquis, enable the confirmation of independence of the two transmission system operators from main coal and electricity producer and supplier Elektroprivreda Srbije (EPS) and gas trader and distributor Srbijagas. The two companies, also controlled by the government, will remain under the ministry.

This way EMS and Transportgas can also be formally licensed as TSOs. The commission will appoint and dismiss Serbia’s representative in the transmission system operators’ assemblies. The National Assembly will choose the president and four members upon a proposal from the parliamentary energy committee.