BANJA LUKA (Bosnia and Herzegovina), December 6 (SeeNews) – Missing state-level legal framework for gas continues to be the biggest obstacle to the liberalisation of the gas market in Bosnia, the EU Delegation in the country said on Twitter on Wednesday.
Representatives of the European Commission and Bosnia met in Banja Luka last week to discuss the implementation of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) and of bringing the country's legislation closer to the EU acquis and standards in transport, energy, environment, climate change and regional development.
On this occasion, the Commission expressed deep concern about the lack of progress in alignment with the Third Energy Package in the field of electricity and gas on all levels of government, the EU Delegation in Bosnia said in a statement.
"Opening of markets and unbundling is substantially delayed," the Delegation said.
It noted that these issues are key in the context of the infringement procedure in place and in view of the next Energy Community Ministerial Council in December 2017.
The Commission urged Bosnia to adopt as a matter of urgency its energy efficiency action plan.
Bosnia's state-level government said earlier this week it has adopted the country's first energy efficiency action plan which has yet to be approved by parliament. The 2016-2018 action plan was adopted in line with the country's obligations as a member of the Energy Community, the Council of Ministers said.
The Energy Community said last month that Bosnia and Herzegovina is a victim of its own constitutional framework, as reform of the country's energy sector remains deadlocked despite sanctions adopted earlier.
In 2015, the ministerial council of the organisation imposed sanctions on Bosnia, but to no avail, as political will is preventing progress in the country from taking off the ground, the secretariat of the Energy Community said in its 2016/2017 annual implementation report published in November.
The Vienna-based Energy Community was established by an international law treaty in October 2005 with the key aim to extend the EU internal energy market to Southeast Europe and beyond on the basis of a legally binding framework.