Energy efficiency – an MED priority

Energy Efficiency represents a priority for the Ministry of Economic Development, along with provision of sustainable energy supply, said on 16 October the Minister Fadil Ismajli in the roundtable on “Role of local institutions in addressing energy efficiency policies,” organized by the Parliamentary Committee on Economic Development, Infrastructure, Trade and Industry of the Assembly of Kosovo, in cooperation with the Prishtina Institute for Political Studies.

Minister Ismajli said at this occasion that the Government of Kosovo has a well-developed legal, strategic and institutional framework on this topic, as the basic energy laws are now complemented by the Law on Energy Efficiency and a wide spectrum of Administrative Instructions and regulations.

He said that important politic, programmatic and institutional steps were undertaken in the sphere of energy efficiency and its promotion. They include the Kosovo Agency on Energy Efficiency and the Certification Committee for Energy Auditors and Managers. Moreover, considerable investments were made in the enhancement of EE, while underlining that legal gaps related to the establishment of municipal energy efficiency offices and the lack of budget for implemented relevant projects represent main deficiencies in this sphere.

For his part, the Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Economic Development, Infrastructure, Trade and Industry, Zenun Pajaziti, underscored the significance that the committee he heads gives energy efficiency, emphasizing that last year the committee oversaw the implementation of Energy Efficiency law and the implementation of recommendations deriving from this monitoring.

Bedri Dragusha, Chief Executive Officer of the Kosovo Energy Efficiency Agency, said that the establishment of relevant offices is not just the wish but also an obligation deriving from EU Directives, which Kosovo has committed to implemented in its regular meetings with the Energy Community Secretariat in Vienna.

Participants emphasized the need to establish municipal energy offices, which for the moment is not definitely stipulated in the applicable legislation, as they would assist in the collection of information on concrete EE measures undertaken in municipalities and would support the Kosovo Energy Efficiency Agency in the compilation of the progress report on the achievement of the targets in the National Energy Efficiency Action Plan 2010-2018.

In addition, Maliq Pireci from AKEREE presented the project implemented by UNDP in Dragash municipality, and proposed to expand the project in other municipalities.

energjia.al, 24.10.2013