ZRRE and Government Block Return of 40m Euros to Turn to Citizens From Energy Privatisation in the North

For 18 years, between 1999 and 2017, the current spent by residents of four Serb majority municipalities (North Mitrovica, Leposaviq, Zvecan and Zubin Potok) has been lucky to consumers of other parts of Kosovo.

Kosovo's ombudsman has exercised indictments against the Energy Regulatory Office decision, which has served as the basis for billing the flow spent in the four northern municipalities citizens living in other parts of the country.

A few months ago, the indictment had received approval of the form cut by the Supreme Court of Kosovo and last year also by the Constitutional Court of Kosovo. But, Z RRE is not going to implement this decision that 40m euros be returned to Kosovo citizens, who received the money out of their own pocket.

Since Z The RRE has a considerable budget, the Ministry of finals would need 40 million to be poured into the ZERE bank account, but that the latter is trying to postpone the decision indefinitely.

Recently Z THREE has also been addressed to the Constitutional Court, although it has given thought to the matter.

Allow me to inform you that the ZRE has filed a request to the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Kosovo by date. 24.05.23. From the Constitutional Court with the date.16.06.23, Z. The RRE has been announced for recording the case and is awaiting review by Court”, have announced of Periscope from the ZRE briefing office.

Periscop has tried to get an answer from the JPS about why this institution is dragging on a second decision when it has already been judged once, but until the publication of this article, it has given no answer.

On April 13th of this year, the Supreme Court has rejected the request of the Energy Regulatory Office against the Court of Appeals trial, in terms of the fate of citizens of the Republic of Kosovo, for the spent but unpaid flow in the four northern municipalities.

The Supreme has found that the Constitutional Court and Appeals, right, have proved the actual and fair state of justice has applied material rights in the manner of deployment, respectively, approval as based on the prosecution of the ombudsman, and annulment of the lawsuit's decision Z. RRE.

Therefore, claims about reasoning and not indicating in the four northern municipalities with security reasons are not sustainable, and do not have access to knowledge reading in that section, because it is not justified that other citizens for these reasons be charged with paying for spent electricity without a legal basis. Therefore, with this fate and payment has become the unfair treatment of Kosovo citizens, which conflicts with Article 55 per cent. 4, of the Constitution, inequitable treatment cited as in the courts of lower institutions, because it has become a restriction on human rights. So based on the 194th article of LMD, consumers, who without legal basis and without their knowledge are billed and paid for the energy spent in the north, were granted the right to return the paid amount as courts of lower institutions”, the Supreme announced.

The Constitutional Court in Pristina on 11 October 2022 had approved the ombudsman's application for cancelling the decision of the Energy Regulatory Office to ensure the flow spent in the four northern municipalities of the Republic of Kosovo. The same act charged Z The RRE to take actions that force KEDS to make compensation for the damage to consumers who are lucky to spend electricity in the four northern municipalities of the Republic of Kosovo, worth 40 million and 855,480.00 euros.

For 18 years, between 1999 and 2017, the current spent by residents of four Serb majority municipalities (North Mitrovica, Leposaviq, Zvecan and Zubin Potok), has been billed to consumers of other parts of Kosovo, and municipal bills in the north were for 3.5 percent more expensive.

But after much complaint, the Court of Appeals at the end of 2017 had decided to suspend this practice because it was illegal.

Meanwhile, the Constitutional Court in Pristina on 11 October 2021, on the basis of the indictment exercised by the ombudsman institution, has forced the Regulatory Office for Electrical Energy (ZRRE) to impose the Power Distribution Service (KEDS) for the return of more than 40m euros to Kosovo citizens, who in the period from 2012-2017 have paid the consumer flow in the four Serb majority northern Kosovo municipalities.

Despite this, the ombudsman had also applied half a request to the indictment, not seeking the composition of money from 1999 to 2017, but has demanded from 2012 to 2017 that have resulted in a little over 40m euros.

The decision on paying off the flow of Serb residents in northern Kosovo had earlier taken the ZRRE itself, while on the auditing of bills, which included expenses in the north, Kosovo citizens have not been notified.

The government led by Albin Kurti, has until 13 June 2022 to equip electricity consumers in the north with one-on-one and to do the bill, otherwise risks violating the country's Constitution and sovereignty. The Constitutional Court of Kosovo has given this obligation through the act of judgment published on January 13th, 2022.

The trial first explains that the object of constitutional assessment in this case is only the constitutionality of the contested Assembly Act, May 6, 2021, with which the congressional has been authorized: (i) The STT to cover electricity deviations in four (4) municipalities of the Republic of Kosovo, exploit revenues from its own budget, those that will be compensated for “from the dividend, or any other possible” mechanism, it is said at the point two of the bias released on January 13th of this year.

The Government of Kosovo has been tasked with providing the entire process of accessing the billing system, according to regulations and laws in force, in co-operation with responsible parties, for the destiny of consumers in four (4) relevant electric energy municipalities”, it is further said.

This point not only obliges the Government of Kosovo to extend the system, the installation of units respectively, but also the fate of consumers. In contrast, the government makes serious violations of the Constitution and, therefore, of the country's sovereignty.

In the act based on Blerta Deliu's claims to Kodra and 12 other deputies, the Constitutional Court has estimated that the May 6th Kosovo Parliament's decision to pay off the COST's deviations for energy spent in northern Kosovo is no constitutional violation. But that violation will happen if the government does not extend energy sovereignty within six months.

Kosovo's Assembly had authorised COSTT to cover electricity deviations in Kosovo's four northern municipalities, exploiting revenues from its own budget, tools that would be compensated “by dyvindda or any other possible” mechanism.

The court further explains that “based on documentation accepted by the interested parties, as a result of the failure of electricity for electricity consumers in four (4) municipalities in the Republic of Kosovo, the electricity losses have registered Kosovo's deviation to the continental European system. Following the abolition of the ZRR's Supreme Decision and until April 2021, these losses, respectively, are covered by the budget of the Republic of Kosovo”.

The court has stressed that as a result of failure to pay electricity for electricity consumers in the four municipalities of the Republic of Kosovo, electricity consumption in these four municipalities has been registered as a deviation. /Periscopi/