Energy is the sector with the highest rating according to the White Book of the Council of Foreign Investors

According to the progress in implementing the recommendations from the “White Book” of the Council of Foreign Investors, energy represents the leading sector, and out of a total of eight recommendations for the energy sector, significant progress was recorded in five, and some progress in three, according to the announcement of the Ministry of Mining and Energy. .

More precisely, in the recently published annual publication of the Council of Foreign Investors, the energy sector in the overall ranking takes first place in 2024 with an index of 2.63 out of a maximum of 3, which is significantly above the level of 2023, when it had an index of 2.30.

These recommendations represent a good platform for dialogue with investors on how we can make the business environment in Serbia better and be more successful in reforms, explained Dubravka Đedović Handanović, Minister of Mining and Energy.

“Energy is the sector with the highest rating according to the White Book of the Council of Foreign Investors. The energy sector is going through a serious transformation in which the regulatory framework has been significantly improved, the stability of supply has increased and public investments have accelerated, along with the creation of a predictable framework for private sector investments. “Good evaluations of reforms in the energy sector represent recognition for the work done so far, while the recommendations give guidelines on where our results can be even better,” says the minister.

Also, the “White Book” records progress in the transformation of “Elektroprivreda Srbije” from a public company to a joint-stock company.

According to the minister, the management structure in EPS was changed and a new Supervisory Board was appointed, which took important steps towards the professionalization of EPS management.

She also said that the implementation of the EPS transformation plan has begun, which should bring, first of all, greater efficiency and changes in the way of management with the introduction of annual goals and greater management responsibility, adding that in this way we are setting an example for upcoming reforms in other energy sectors as well. companies”.

Amendments to the Law on Energy supplemented the regulatory framework in accordance with the Third EU Energy Package and created the conditions for merging with the EU market.

“By the end of the year, the formation of the regional electricity exchange will be completed, the first in the region, in which, in addition to Serbia, two other EU member states – Hungary and Slovenia – will participate, which will have a positive effect on the investment environment,” says Minister Đedović Handanović.

In the annual edition of the Council of Foreign Investors, the achieved results in the “greening” of the energy portfolio were recognized.

As the minister pointed out, with the introduction of auctions for the allocation of market premiums for RES, opportunities have been opened for a new cycle of investments in this sector and the achievement of a competitive electricity purchase price.

By the end of November, the second round of auctions will be announced, the minister said and emphasized that in the first round last year, a great success was achieved with nine solar and wind power projects and more than one billion euros of investments.

“With the first green production capacities of EPS, the solar and wind park in Kostolac, as well as the strategic partnership for one gigawatt of solar power plants, we are approaching the fulfillment of the strategic goal that every second megawatt-hour by 2030 will be from clean sources,” says the minister. .

As stated in the “White Book”, the inflow of foreign direct investments increasingly depends on the availability, predictability and supply structure of certified green energy. Issues such as the percentage of electricity from renewable sources that is available on the grid, the further development of power plants using renewable energy sources and the possibility of a guaranteed supply of green energy through corporate power purchase agreements are gaining more and more importance and becoming one of the decisive reasons for investment by investors in Serbia.

In the area of ​​energy efficiency, the “White Book” states that in a significant number of local governments, the implementation of projects on contracting energy performance for public lighting has begun.

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