Member of the House of Representatives of the PA BiH Ermina Salkičević - Dizdarević met in Vienna with Director of the Secretariat of the Energy Community

Member of the House of Representatives of the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina (PA BiH) and Chair of the Joint Commission for Economic Reforms and Development of the PA BiH Ermina Salkičević - Dizdarević met in Vienna with the director of the Secretariat of the Energy Community, Artur Lorkowski. The meeting focused on issues of energy, energy stability, as well as the obligations of Bosnia and Herzegovina in this segment, in accordance with the obligations assumed under various international agreements.

It was assessed that Bosnia and Herzegovina is at a turning point in the energy transition process, faced with the challenges brought by the introduction of the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) by the European Union (EU). As a member of the Energy Community, BiH has clearly defined obligations when it comes to decarbonization, improvement of energy policies and harmonization of legislation with the acquis of the EU, it was stated during the meeting.

CBAM, which from January 1, 2026 will be applied in its full capacity, aims to prevent "carbon leakage" through the introduction of additional costs for importers of goods with high CO₂ emissions, such as steel, cement, fertilizer, aluminium and electricity. Given that BiH exports a significant part of its industrial production to the EU market, non-compliance with the CBAM regulation could have serious consequences for domestic producers and the economy, it was warned at the meeting.

MP Salkičević – Dizdarević informed director Lorkowski that the Joint Commission for Economic Reforms and Development of the PA BiH held a comprehensive thematic session "Where is the energy sector in Bosnia and Herzegovina going - the impact of CBAM on the economy of Bosnia and Herzegovina" in June last year, from which certain proposals for further parliamentary action emerged. In this regard, Director Lorkowski gave very detailed information about the status of BiH in the context of CBAM, and supported the idea that the Secretariat of the Energy Community should be at the disposal of the Joint Commission for Economic Reforms and Development of PA BiH in connection with the implementation of further parliamentary work related to this important topic for the overall economy and future economic development of our country.

Also, there was a very open discussion about the necessity of adopting the so-called set of energy laws, that is, laws related to electricity, and the Law on Gas and the Law on the Regulator, Transmission and Internal Market.

The interlocutors agreed that the adoption of this set of laws represents the basis for the establishment of a single energy market in the country, as well as the basis for the decarbonization of the sector in accordance with the goals of the Energy Community and the European Green Plan, so that Bosnia and Herzegovina becomes sustainable and competitive in this area. (end)