Prishtinë, 17.03.2017 – The future of Kosovo, but also of the other countries in the region, is to instate an integrated energy market, through concrete actions, which will yield the following results for the states: security of supply and affordability of prices, said the Minister of Economic Development, Blerand Stavileci, in the round table “Discussing Liberalization of the Energy Market”, organized by the Energy Regulatory Office (ERO).

On this occasion, he said that it is widely known that the sector can’t be transformed without a proper legal framework, while adding that concrete steps are undertaken towards market liberalization, one of the most important from which is to the transposition of the third energy legislation package into domestic legislation last year.

“Normally, the process hasn’t concluded, and I believe that this year we will intensify it further as Kosovo holds the presidency of the Energy Community Treaty. We had a meeting with representatives of its secretariat in Vienna, and we stated that we want to leave a mark in our presidency in terms of accomplishing common goals, which we hold dear not as a state but as a region, as part of an integrated European energy network,” he said.

According to him, market opening and principles of a liberalized market will more than anything else serve the accomplishment of two said objectives – security of supply and affordability of prices.

On the other hand, USAID’s Theodore Heisler underlined that a sustainable electricity sector and uninterrupted supply comprise economic growth. “New laws introduce provisions that result in the liberalization of energy prices. We also envisage a number of protection measures and a sustainable household. This process will be subjected to public consultations. The objective of USAID’s assistance is to promote and support regulation that enhances economy and leads to market liberalization,” he said.

Arben Kllokoqi, electricity expert from the Energy Community Secretariat, said that it is considered that market opening in terms of generation contracts and regulation will improve competition.

“This evolution will expand participation in the market, and the Government and Parliament need to enact policies that result in competition. Now, companies need to manage market prices and risk, because they will not have ERO there to manage risk after the market is liberalized. It is important for market entrance conditions to be competitive with those of the other countries,” he added.