Reforms in the energy sector

The Sixth annual Conference of UPES, entitled “Reforms in the energy sector” was held on December 8, 2023 in the Chamber of Commerce of Serbia, organized by the Serbian Energy Law Association of (UPES), the European Federation of Associations for Energy Law (EFELA) and the Chamber of Commerce of Serbia.

The process of decarbonization in the European Union influenced the adoption of the new Regulation on the mechanism for cross-border adjustment tax, which affects third countries. There are controversies between the CBAM and the EU ETS, both combined with electricity market coupling and the Stabilization and Association Agreements . At the same time, there is a complex set of exceptions, subsidies or cross-subsidies that dramatically change market conditions. At the same time, the need for investments in new energy sources is growing, taking into account the age and condition of the existing power plants, as well as the risks of security of supply.

Energy Community contracting parties may be affected by unequal competition from their first neighborhood and have to figure out how to transpose all EU laws and eventually achieve harmonization with EU member states taking into account the new form of EU ETS and market integration.

The conference was greeted by: Vicente Lopez-Ibor Mayor, president of EFELA, Ljubo Maćić , advisor to the Minister of Mining and Energy of the Republic of Serbia and Dr. Branislava Lepotić Kovačević, president of UPES.
The conference had two sessions: (1) CBAM and EU ETS: meaning and effects and (2) Elements of legislative innovation in energy sector; both focus on reforms in the energy sector. Traditionally, both sessions ended with a “lessons learned” discussion.

About ninety participants attended the conference.