EU acknowledges delay in energy guide implementation

The European Union acknowledges there are delays in implementing the Energy Agreement Guide between Kosovo and Serbia, and it leaves “technicals to the”.
The final responsibility for successful implementation of the Energy Agreement and the guides remains in the hands of the” parties, an EU official told Radio Europe free.

Kosovo and Serbia on 21 June have signed the guide for implementation of the Energy Agreement, which was reached in 2013 under the EU-brokered dialogue.

With this agreement, the issue of electricity supply and destiny for the four municipalities in northern Kosovo, inhabited by Serb majority, is intended to regulate.

Citizens of these municipalities have not paid for energy spent since 1999. Over the years, their debt has been paid by citizens of other Kosovo municipalities and since 2017 by the Government of Kosovo.

Officials of energy sector institutions in Kosovo said they have fulfilled their share coming out of the guide, which has to do with the licensing of a Serbian company in this case the Elektrosever company that will supply and fatify energy in the north.

Otherwise, Elektrosever is owned by Serbia's energy company EPS (Electroprivreda Srbije). This company received the operating license from the Kosovo Energy Regulatory Office (ZRRE) 24 June.

System Operator, Transmission and Electricity Market officials in Kosovo (KOSTT) told Elektrosever Radio Europe that it has not sent data to consumers in the north to them.

According to the guide, sending data to consumers, this Serbian company has had to complete seven days after obtaining the license. Meanwhile, ten days after obtaining a supply license, Elektroseverer has had to sign the necessary technical agreements with the KOSTT and the Kosovo Power Distribution Company (KEDS) in order to operate on the Kosovo market.

But the agreements signed by COSTST in line with the standard formats approved by the ZERE, we have not yet signed by Elektrosever”, said in response to COST.

The EU said COSTT, KEDS and Elektroseveri are in regular communication.

They also report regularly to the European Union and the United States”.

The European bloc said it will help the parties with open questions they may have for the guide.

“The EU mediates dialogue between the sides, we are not arbitrator”, the EU's response said.

However, the Kosovar side complains that Elektrosever has yet to send an investment plan, or tests made for the cost of maintenance and net losses.

These are mentioned at the sixth point of the guide saying that within 45 days the security of COSTT and KED, in consultation with the Elektroseverin will hand over Z. RRE's this document.

The company Elektrosever has not answered REL questions about the delay in implementing the guide, but the owner of this company, EPS from Serbia, in early July, said the license for the company they received from ZRERE “is currently not functional” and that “the company currently does not have clients”.

Otherwise, Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti, in an interview, demanded that the international <x0-phactors -- in particular, Brussels -- should register, rebuke and punish Belgrade” for failing to implement the set-up deadlines.

I have no opportunity in coming winter to pay for Kosovo's north”, he said.

It is estimated that the general bill of energy consumers in the north totals up to 12m euros annually.