The Government of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina established today, on the proposal of the Federal Ministry of Energy, Mining and Industry, the Bill on Gas of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which will be sent to the Parliament of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina for further consideration and adoption.
This law regulates energy policy and planning, then energy activities, the license to perform activities and the regulation of energy activities in the natural gas sector, as well as the production and distribution of natural gas, as well as the supply and trade of natural gas and its storage. Also, this law prescribes the management of the terminal for liquefied natural gas, the management of places for the supply of liquefied natural and compressed natural gas, the rights and obligations of end customers, security of supply, then the construction, use and maintenance of gas infrastructure facilities, as well as administrative supervision and regulatory supervision, as well as other issues of importance for regulating the natural gas sector in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, announced the Public Relations Office of the Government of FBiH.
The proposal of this law partially adopts the provisions of Directive 2009/73/EC of the European Parliament and the Council of July 13, 2009 on common rules for the internal market of natural gas and repealing Directive 2003/55/EC.
The law also states the basic goals of achieving energy policy in the natural gas sector. Among the goals are ensuring safe supply of customers with natural gas according to defined quality standards and affordable prices, then ensuring safe, reliable and efficient operation, maintenance and development of the natural gas distribution system and provision of prescribed quality of its distribution services.
The goals are efficient regulation of activities in this sector, as well as protection of the rights and interests of system users, including the right to access the network, safety and quality of supply, and the availability of natural gas and the development of a competitive natural gas market. The goals are also to ensure the efficient separation of the distribution system operator and its independence from other activities, to ensure conditions for the unhindered performance of public service obligations, to create conditions for investments in the natural gas sector, and to ensure long-term balance and promote the sustainable development of the natural gas sector, as well as connecting with regional markets and harmonizing the development of the natural gas sector with the energy and economic policy of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The goals are rational and economical use of natural gas, protection and provision of a healthy and environmentally friendly environment for citizens in local communities, and harmonization with European Union regulations in order to establish a legal and institutional framework in accordance with the legal heritage of the European Union.
The provisions of this law apply to biogas and other types of gases, if these gases can be technically and safely transported through natural gas systems.
The draft law stipulates that the general interest of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina is the provision and delivery of natural gas for the life and work of citizens, as well as the business and development of economic and social entities, in a safe, reliable and high-quality manner.
The proposer stated, among other things, in the reasons for the adoption of this law, that during its drafting, special attention was paid to aspects related to the division of responsibilities between the institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the entities, in order to ensure that the law regulates only those issues that are within the competence of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It was stated that in this sense the processor followed the division of responsibilities that already exists in the electricity sector, which was established by law by the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and that this law does not contain provisions relating to issues that fall within the competence of the institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina, but only provisions that regulate those issues and activities within the competence of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which relate to production, distribution, supply, storage.
The law also includes provisions that emphasize the commitment and general interest of the Federation of BiH for the adoption of regulations in the natural gas sector and at the level of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
