ZERE, in the process of passing judgment on illegal electricity billing in the north

ZERE spokesman Petrit Pepaj has said that the Supreme Court's act had been sent to Z RRE's April 3rd and that “in line with the legal provisions in force will take necessary action”.

The Supreme Court on April 13th has rejected the request for extraordinary review by the Energy Regulatory Office (ZRRE) against the Appeals Act in terms of bringing electricity to the northern part of Kosovo.

From the end of the war until 2017, citizens of other Kosovo municipalities have paid for the flow spent by citizens in northern Kosovo. During this period of time, citizens' bills in other Kosovo municipalities have been at 3.5 percent more expensive.

In 2017, the Court of Appeals had ruled that it is illegal to allow citizens of other parts of Kosovo to pay for the flow spent in four municipalities in the north, inhabited by Serb majority.

In the Supreme Court's ruling, this billing practice is not in line with the Law for Electrical Energy regulator, since “has become the uneven treatment of residents of the four northern municipalities in relation to the residents of the rest, and that the same fate is not legally authorised”.

“Consumers, who without legal grounds and without their knowledge are billed and paid for the energy spent in the north, were born the right to return the paid amount as the courts of lower institutions”, told the Supreme Court's decision, published on April 13th.

In this case, Pristina's Foundation Court had said that the Electricity Distribution Service “was passed without legal basis”, billing citizens for electricity in the north, as they had not consumed the same.

In 2021, following an ombudsman indictment, Pristina Foundation Court forced Z The RRE to impose the Electricity Distribution Service (KEDS) for the return of over 40m euros to Kosovo citizens, who in the period 2012-2017 when even complaints have paid the flow of consumers in the north.

By 2017, the responsibility of paying for the current spent in northern Mitrovica, Zvecan, Zubin Potok and Leposaviq has passed on to the Government of Kosovo.

The issue of electricity in the north, Kosovo and Serbia have also discussed within the dialogue, mediated by the European Union. In 2013 the parties reached the energy deal, which has not been implemented. Because of its failure, in 2022, Pristina and Belgrade agreed on the Guide for Implementation of the Energy Agreement.

Through the guide, the issue of electricity supply and destiny for the four municipalities in northern Kosovo, inhabited by the Serb majority.

The Serbian company Elektrosever will be taken in for supply and luck of the north, but the EU has confirmed last year that there are delays in the implementation of the guide.