Greece, Slovenia among five EU countries to introduce new fossil fuel subsidies – report
Five EU countries including the UK, Germany, Greece, Poland, and Slovenia are looking to introduce new fossil fuel subsidies by 2030, an analysis of the 28 Member States’ draft energy and climate plans (NECPs) has revealed. In a new report, “Fossil fuel subsidies in draft EU National Energy and Climate Plans: Shortcomings and final call […]
North Macedonia to introduce eco stickers for cars, launch vehicle replacement scheme
The parliament of North Macedonia has passed changes to the law on motor vehicles, introducing voluntary eco stickers to mark vehicles by ecological rating and envisaging a grants scheme to help replace old cars with new ones, among other things, according to the government’s website. The main objective of the changes is to reduce air […]
Let the sunshine in, say civil society groups
Author: Igor Vejnović, Hydropower Coordinator, CEE Bankwatch Network Eight civil society organisations last week submitted proposals for a revamp of Serbia’s renewables support scheme to the Ministry of Energy and Mining. All across Europe, renewables incentive schemes have been transformed in recent years to take account of the growing costs of feed-in tariffs for end […]
BiH, Kosovo*, Serbia pay EUR 444 million in coal subsidies, EUR 147 million for renewables – report
The three most coal-intensive Energy Community (EnC) Contracting Parties – Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo*, and Serbia – paid a total of EUR 444 million in direct subsidies to coal, while their incentives for production from renewables reached EUR 147 million during the period 2015-2017. The total sum of direct subsidies in all Contracting Parties, including […]
Eco Fund expands biomass heating grants program to entire Slovenia, cuts EV subsidies
Slovenia’s Environmental Public Fund (Eco Fund or Eko Sklad) has issued a new call for grants to vulnerable citizens for the replacement of old heating devices in residential buildings with new, energy-efficient wood biomass heating, while extending the program to the entire country, according to an announcement on the website of the Ministry of Environment […]
Montenegro to scrutinize small hydropower procedures, not to approve fresh subsidies
Representatives of the Government of Montenegro have announced that procedures for the construction of small hydropower plants (SHPPs) will be reviewed and that no subsidies will be approved for the construction of new SHPPs, local media reported. Even though Prime Minister Duško Marković has made it clear that he believes the issue of small hydropower […]
Slovenia pays EUR 135 million in renewable energy, CHP subsidies in 2018
Slovenia’s support payments for electricity from renewable energy sources and high-efficiency cogeneration (combined heat and power – CHP) reached EUR 135.1 million in 2018. The largest amount, EUR 62.8 million, was paid to owners of solar power plants, while fossil fuel CHP generated the biggest share of energy – 320.5 GWh. According to Slovenian power […]
European Parliament confirms fossil fuel subsidy phase-out by 2025
The European Parliament (EP) has adopted four new laws on the EU electricity market, formally concluding the Clean Energy for All Europeans package. Fossil fuel subsidies are to be phased out by 2025. MEPs adopted four new laws on the EU electricity market, agreed informally with EU ministers in late 2018, concluding the Clean Energy for […]