The agreement on energy, the delegations of Kosovo and Serbia meet today in Brussels. What is expected to happen

Their meetings take place in Brussels, in the framework of the dialogue for normalization of relations between the two countries, which started in 2011.

The Deputy Prime Minister of Kosovo, Besnik Bislimi, at the same time the chief negotiator of the Kosovar side in the dialogue with Serbia, said on June 13 that this issue will be resolved “by respecting the agreement reached in 2013”.

Citizens of the municipalities: North Mitrovica, Leposavic, Zvecan and Zubin Potok – mostly Serbs – have not paid for the electricity consumed for more than two decades.

What does this agreement provide?

Kosovo and Serbia signed an agreement on the issue of energy almost a decade ago, respectively in September 2013.

The signatories of the agreement were the former prime ministers of Kosovo and Serbia, Hashim Thaçi and Ivica Dacic.

This agreement, reached in the framework of the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue, provides that in addition to the Electricity Distribution Company – KEDS, in Kosovo to be licensed another company for electricity distribution.

The agreement was confirmed in August 2015 by the former Prime Minister of Kosovo, Isa Mustafa, and that of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, but has never been implemented.

This document envisages that in addition to KEDS, in Kosovo to be licensed another company for the distribution of electricity named “Drustvo Elektrosever DOO”.

The owner of the latter is Serbia, or the Serbian public company for the production, supply and trade of electricity – Elektroprivreda Srbije.

Its representatives registered it as a business with the Kosovo Business Registration Agency (KBRA) in November 2018. Its primary activity is the energy trade.

According to the agreements reached, “Drustvo Elektrosever DOO”, to start operating in Kosovo, would have to be licensed by the Energy Regulatory Office in Kosovo (ERO).

“Drustvo Elektrosever DOO” has applied for a license, but there is no confirmation that ERO has licensed it.

In February of this year, ERO confirmed to Radio Free Europe that the license was requested at the end of December 2020, but has not yet been approved, because “it must be in accordance with the agreement [e Brukselit] and conclusions ”, which, according to ERO, has not been achieved.

ERO has not specifically specified what is disputed in this process.

The Deputy Prime Minister of Kosovo, Besnik Bislimi, has said that there will be no licensing of any company other than “Drustvo Elektrosever DOO” – as provided by the agreements reached with Serbia.

The President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vuiqi., Said on June 10 that the energy agreement with Kosovo is nearing completion and that the Serbian side has held negotiations with the Kosovo Electricity Distribution Company (KEDS).

The Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, has confirmed the holding of such a meeting.

In a statement to the media on June 18, he said the new agreement would enable billing and collection in the four municipalities north of the Ibar River.

“It is about four previously agreed services: installation of energy meters, maintenance of meters, billing and collection”, said Kurti, emphasizing that there will be no additional services in the field of distribution.

What else does the agreement provide?

According to the agreement reached in 2013, the employees of “Elektrokosmet” (Serbian energy company in northern Kosovo) must join the company registered under the laws of Kosovo, or must be offered employment at KEDS.

Until recently, the citizens of the northern municipalities of Kosovo, have said that they have received bills for electricity from this Serbian company.

Kosovo considers Serbia’s “Electrokosmet” as an illegal company.

What do the inhabitants of northern Kosovo say?

Since the end of the last war in Kosovo in 1999, northerners have been regularly supplied with electricity but have not paid for it.

This happened due to the rejection of various structures supported by official Belgrade, which operated in that part, but also due to civic disobedience.

Representatives of Kosovo and Serbia have consistently made conflicting statements about who supplies the north with electricity.

The Electricity System, Transmission and Market Operator in Kosovo (KOSTT) has said that the supply is made by operators licensed by the Kosovo Energy Regulatory Office, but, according to Serbian officials, electricity in the north comes from the Serbian Electricity Network.

Some citizens of the northern part of Kosovo, surveyed by Radio Free Europe weeks ago, have said they support the idea of ​​regulating the issue of electricity supply, but some say they would like to make the payment in Serbia. , not in Kosovo.

“In any case, I want to pay for the energy more than not have it at all – to be honest. “I am for this, it is better to be paid”, said Dragica Vulic.

Another citizen of North Mitrovica, who introduces himself only as Milosh, said that he would not like to pay for electricity for any institution in Kosovo.

“An order must exist… but first we would pay our state [Serbisë], than the Government of Kosovo. I do not know, it seems to me that more and more they are pushing us towards the hands of Prishtina “, said Milloshi.

According to Milan, the issue of paying for electricity is now meaningless.

“I do not know, but I think that now this is meaningless for political reasons,” he said.

How much are the losses?

The Electricity System, Transmission and Market Operator in Kosovo (KOSTT) has announced that losses from non-payment of electricity in the north have reached the amount of 40 million euros in 2021 alone.

From 2017 until today, electricity consumption in municipalities in northern Kosovo is paid by KOSTT.

From 1999 to 2017, the debt for the north of Kosovo was paid by the citizens of other municipalities in Kosovo. Their bills have been higher by 3.5 percent.

However, after numerous appeals, the Court of Appeals in Kosovo has decided at the end of 2017 to suspend this practice, finding that it is illegal.

This decision was later confirmed by the Constitutional Court of Kosovo and the payment was transferred to KOSTT.

KOSTT is a public company of Kosovo with 100 percent of state shares. By Krenare Cubolli / REL

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