The two-day XVII International Forum “Strategic Changes in National Energy Policy” was launched today in the Assembly of Vojvodina.

The Forum was held under the auspices of the Assembly of the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, in cooperation with the Vojvodina Chamber of Commerce, with the aim of identifying key strategic processes and projects that provide the possibility to the Republic of Serbia for long-term and quality changes in the energy sector, which contributes to the achievement of common European targets through innovative approaches in energy policy.

At the plenary session, the Deputy Ambassador of the European Union in the Republic of Serbia, Plamena Halacheva, addressed the audience, and said: “We welcome the adoption of the National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP) and the Energy Sector Development Strategy. Serbia should continue to implement the measures provided for in the EU energy support package and comply with the Electricity Integration Package, adopted by the Ministerial Council of the Energy Community in December 2022.”

The Deputy Ambassador of the European Union emphasized the continuous support of the EU to Serbia’s energy sector, which since 2000 amounts to more than one billion euros in grants. In addition to numerous projects, she spoke about the gas interconnector with Bulgaria, which is supported by a EUR 49.6 million grant from the European Union, and which represents a key step towards the diversification of energy supply and the transition towards decarbonisation of the Serbian economy.

The Forum was also attended by the Vice-President of the Assembly of the AP Vojvodina Boris Novaković and Secretary General Dr Sandra Stojković, and the President of the Council of the Energy Agency of Serbia Dejan Popović, Director of the Science and Technology Park Dejan Kolaković, the Dean of the Faculty of Technical Sciences Boris Dumnić, Ambassador of Hungary to Serbia Jozef Magyar, Assistant Minister of Mining and Energy Jovana Joksimović and Provincial Secretary for Energy, Construction and Transport Bojan Vranjković addressed the audience.

During the Forum, TOP ENERGY 2024 awards were also given to the most successful projects in the field of energy. This year’s laureates are companies INTRA LIGHTING d.o.o., Tehnomarket d.o.o., Fonet d.o.o., as well as individuals Boško Vučurević, Deputy President of the Vojvodina Chamber of Commerce and Ljubo Maćić, Advisor to the Minister of Mining and Energy in the Government of the Republic of Serbia.

The International Forum continues tomorrow, with expert sessions on the topics of energy security and energy management.