The progress achieved by Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2023 in the reforms related to the energy and climate sector is moderate, key reforms are still needed in order to bring the markets and institutional framework into line with the standards of the European Union, the director of the Energy Community Secretariat said today in Vienna Artur Lorkowski.
Lorkowski held a presentation in Sarajevo entitled “Implementation of the Energy Community Treaty”. It is about the progress that the country has achieved in 2023 in reforms related to the energy and climate sector.
He reminded that the Energy Community offers Bosnia and Herzegovina and other countries of the region the opportunity for accelerated integration with the energy markets of the European Union.
“These opportunities arise from the decision of the European Council to open negotiations with Bosnia and Herzegovina, but before the day of accession, your country can benefit from full integration with the energy markets of the European Union. To join the EU energy markets, the country is expected to implement some reforms,” said Lorkowski.
He reminded that the European Union recently offered financial support for the implementation of these reforms.
“This support, financial support, is called the growth plan for the Western Balkans, and it is expected that this plan will provide Bosnia and Herzegovina with one billion euros. This is financial support whose intensity is comparable to the support provided to cohesion regions in the European Union. Therefore, there are no more excuses for not carrying out reforms”, said Lorkowski, and added:
“If these reforms are not implemented, Bosnia and Herzegovina will pay twice. One time due to the unavailability of the European Union market, and the second time due to the lack of financial support from the European Union.”
When asked by a journalist if he could briefly state what kind of progress Bosnia and Herzegovina has achieved in the past period, Lorkowski said:
“Progress measured by the Energy Community in the energy climate environment in 2023 was moderate. Key reforms are still needed to bring the markets and institutional framework into line with EU standards.”
He added “it is necessary to access the markets of the European Union as soon as possible and, secondly, to profit as much as possible from the financial support offered by the European Union,” AA writes.
