Members of the Committee for Foreign and Trade Policy, Customs, Transport, and Communications of the House of Peoples participated in the Parliamentary Forum of the Energy Community in Vienna

The Chair of the Committee for Foreign and Trade Policy, Customs, Transport, and Communications of the House of Peoples of the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Safet Softić, and the Deputy Chair of the Committee, Marina Pendeš, participated in the Parliamentary Forum of the Energy Community in Vienna.

Participants in the Parliamentary Forum exchanged information, opinions, and views on the readiness of the Energy Community Member States to implement the Regulation on the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) and the impact of CBAM on the integration of the energy market and future carbon prices in the Energy Community. This Regulation, which introduces cross-border fees for electricity produced using carbon, is expected to come into force on January 1, 2026.

In her address to the participants of the Parliamentary Forum, Deputy Chair of the Committee for Foreign and Trade Policy, Customs, Transport, and Communications of the House of Peoples, Marina Pendeš, expressed the desire to be an active member of the international community on all issues, including energy and environmental protection. Therefore, Bosnia and Herzegovina has accepted all key international legal documents and signed and ratified the Paris Agreement and the Sofia Declaration on the Green Agenda for the Western Balkans, committing to follow the European Union on its path to carbon neutrality by 2050.

Ms. Pendeš stated that Bosnia and Herzegovina supports all regional processes towards energy transition but also warned that Bosnia and Herzegovina needs to protect its interests. In this regard, she pointed out that, according to estimates from the Foreign Trade Chamber of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the payment of the cross-border CO2 tax (CBAM) will represent a significant blow to the economy of Bosnia and Herzegovina, leading to a substantial decline in exports, revenues, and a significant loss of jobs in the electricity production, cement and metal industries. Ms. Pendeš called on EU member countries to increase assistance to Bosnia and Herzegovina, especially for energy transition projects and climate change mitigation, through the recently adopted Growth Plan for the Western Balkans and European funds. She also called on parliamentary colleagues from Energy Community contracting parties to coordinate their approach towards the EU. (end)