ENERGY COMMUNITY: Decision on Capping Electricity Prices for the Economy up to Serbia, Recommendation for Measures to be Temporary and Targeted

The situation in the market of energy sources on the global level, in Europe, the region and Serbia, is very unstable and requires careful monitoring and planning of measures for the protection of jeopardized categories of purchasers in the case the prices grow further and remain high over a longer time period, which is one of the potential scenarios for the winter, Jasmina Trhulj, the director of the Energy Community Electrical Energy Sector, stated for eKapija.

In response to the question about what the best solution for Serbia would be in the current electricity crisis, she says that the big oscillations in the price of energy sources on the daily level are, to a certain extent, the result of the anxiety and pressure that are spreading on all levels, among energy companies, consumers and politicians.

– In such circumstances, it is very important not to make rush decisions that would solve the problem of a certain category of purchasers in the short term, while having negative consequences to the further development of the entire energy sector, which is a vital branch of the economy, in the long term – Trhulj warns.

In order to avoid this, she adds, the measures should be temporary, balanced and directed exclusively to the jeopardized categories of purchasers and industries, with a minimal impact on the operations and the competition in the market, in which the EU guidelines should help as well.

When asked whether the capping of electricity prices for the economy in Serbia, which has been announced, would be tantamount to a breach of the agreement and obligations that Serbia has taken upon itself and how the Energy Community sees this, Trhulj says that the parties to the Energy Community agreement, including Serbia, have the right to independently adopt measures that they estimate are the most efficient in solving the problem.

– Those measures should be enabled by a legal framework, including the Founding Act of the Energy Community, to which Serbia has obliged – eKapija’s interviewee pointed out.

B. Petrovic

Energy Community Secretariat Viena

Agencija za energetiku Republike Srbije

Berza SEEPEX a.d. Beograd

Energy Community

Energy Community Electrical Energy Sector

Jasmina Trhulj

electricity

electrical energy

prices

growth

capping

economy

energy crisis

free market

competition

cross border capacities

market coupling

guidelines

Energy Community Founding Act