EU to back gas interconnection Serbia-Bulgaria

EU to back gas interconnection Serbia-Bulgaria

Serbia has at its disposal around EUR 200 million a year from the EU's funds for energy projects, Janmaat said at a forum on the region's energy perspectives held in Belgrade.

He said that the EU welcomes the plans for the restructuring of the Electric Power Industry of Serbia (EPS) and Srbijagas, and underlined how important it is for Serbia and the region to join the Energy Community and harmonize their legislation with the Third Energy Package.

"Specifically, for Serbia and the region that means backing the Serbia-Bulgaria pipeline as one of EU's priorities, as well as saving money and better access to energy resources.

"In other words, to kill three birds with one stone," he said.

Regarding energy efficiency, Janmaat noted that Serbia uses 2.7 percent more energy per product unit than EU member states.

When it comes to investment in renewables, the EU welcomes new laws and is ready to back projects in this field, Janmaat said.

Unlike this EU official, "who said the EU supported dependence on only one energy source," U.S. embassy's economic adviser Anna Boulos believes that this would influence the stability of the country's economy.

"Russia has a monopoly because Serbia imports 80 percent of gas via Russia," she was quoted as saying, and adding that if Serbia wants security, it must have multiple suppliers.

Projects Serbia-Bulgaria, Serbia-Croatia make EU countries more safe, and the U.S. wants to see EU countries more safe, Boulos said, and stressed that "green economy is the future - also a priority of U.S. President Barack Obama."

This U.S. embassy official said that "the plan is to, by 2020, get 27 percent of energy from renewable sources."