Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) does not have a law on gas and seriously lags behind European regulations in that area, and the new initiative to pass this law, from the cabinet of the member of the Presidency of BiH, Denis Becirovic, did not lead to good reactions from BiH entity Republika Srpska (RS).
On February 7th, Becirovic initiated the procedure for drafting and adopting that law, which was later adopted at the session of the BiH Presidency on February 22nd.
The initiative, among other things, envisages the abolition of entity regulators in this area and the establishment of a state one.
In the RS, they claim that this issue encroaches on the jurisdiction of the entities, which have their own energy ministries.
What does the proposal say?
As previously stated by Becirovic‘s cabinet, in his proposal the focus is on the abolition of “unconstitutional entity regulators and the establishment of a state regulator for the field of natural gas with adequate powers and instruments for their implementation”.
He claims that his proposal is based on the provisions of the Constitution of BiH, as well as the assumed obligations towards the European Union (EU) and the European Energy Community, in order to establish clear rules in this sector.
Opposition from RS
After the session at which Becirovic‘s proposal was adopted, the chairperson of the Presidency of BiH Zeljka Cvijanovic pointed out that “the position of the RS is that the field of energy is under the competence of the entity”.
“The government of the RS passed its Law on Energy, it also has its Energy Strategy, that law is harmonized with the provisions of the Third Energy Package,” emphasized Cvijanovic, Slobodna Evropa reports.
E.Dz.
