Prishtinë, 21.02.2017 – The Platform for Monitoring and Assessment is a very important instrument for monitoring implementation of both national plan and municipal Energy Efficiency plans, said the Minister of Economic Development Blerand Stavileci today on the occasion of admission of this platform.

The Head of the MED thanked GIZ and the German Government for their extraordinary cooperation in all fields of energy, with special emphasis in the field of efficiency, which like in other countries forms an important part of institutional policymaking in Kosovo.

Minister Stavileci said that the Energy Strategy 2017-2026 is in its final stages and apart from the traditional sources, an important part is taken by renewable energy sources, especially the part that is related to energy efficiency.

“We now have concrete projects with international financial institutions such as World Bank as well as other partners at both central and local level, with whom we are developing efficiency projects”, Said Stavileci, and added that the part of financial program for creation of the EE fund was budgeted for the first time.

Minister Stavileci said that Kosovo efforts within the Energy Community Treaty, which is presided by Kosovo this year are along these lines. The representatives of the German Embassy in Kosovo, Henriette Koetter, said that energy efficiency is a very important aspect of energy saving. “As stated by the Minister, Energy is in the field of focus for Germany, and it is supporting Kosovo in implementing its future Energy Strategy but also the current strategy. We have joint projects on energy efficiency with municipalities, implemented by the KfW. We have the pleasure of working with the ORF in several countries in the region in the field of energy efficiency, as well as in a future project dedicated to technical assistance which is due to start this year on Energy Efficiency in Kosovo” she said.

Ottilie Mooshofer representative of the GIZ, thanked the ORF for this successful work implemented within this platform, wishing Kosovo and all participating states success in this platform, assuring them that this will have a considerable impact in monitoring energy efficiency. Whereas, Dubravka Bosnjak from the Open Regional Fund Energy Efficiency, said that under the Umbrella of the Energy Community (EC), the regional GIZ project ORF EE supported the Government of Kosovo and other governments in the region in developing the program for monitoring and verification of policy implementation in the field of energy efficiency.

Otherwise, the purpose of hand over of this platform for Kosovo, as a partner state in the Open Regional Fund for SEE – Energy Efficiency (ERF – EE) Project, is to provide a support in more effective drafting of policies in the energy efficiency sector, as well as in achieving of Goals of EU 2020 for energy saving and protection of environment.