Skopje, 24 February 2025 (MIA) - North Macedonia is somewhere in the middle in terms of the transposition and implementation of the legislation. You have already adopted almost half of the essence of the Energy Community’s legislation, assessed the head of the Energy Community Secretariat, Artur Lorkowski, at a presentation Monday of the 2024 Annual Implementation Report for North Macedonia in Parliament.

Lorkowski said the Report notes moderate progress in 2024.

“North Macedonia’s achievements are happening evenly with a partial negative tendency. You have a slight downward trajectory when it comes to the implementation of legislation. Still, you are one of the leading countries in terms of the use of renewable sources of energy. Progress has been achieved in terms of establishing an organized electricity market, but also despite being drafted, the legislation on electricity has not been adopted,” Lorkowski said.

Lorkowski highlighted the need for the established market to be integrated with other electricity markets in neighboring countries, including EU member states.

“The deadline for the adoption of legislation that would allow you to be integrated within the markets of the neighboring countries expired in 2023, but we hope that soon the Government will adopt legislation that transposes the package on electricity, and we expect Parliament to adopt it at the beginning of 2025,” Lorkowski said.

The Energy Community representative said the country is obliged to do so in accordance with the Community’s rules, but also to submit the legislation as part of the EU’s Growth Plan.

“The deadline for the submission of this legislation for verification is spring of this year. If you fail to adopt this law by March or April you will miss the window of opportunity created by the EU to link with the EU market. With this, you will also miss the deadline to join the EU’s electricity market at the beginning of 2027, which will worsen your strategic position and have consequences on the stability of investments,” Lorkowski said. 

Lorkowski noted the country's progress in the natural gas sector as well as cybersecurity. Some progress has also been noted in terms of the country's oil reserves and the decarbonization of the energy sector.

Lorkowski commended the work of the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) but assessed the decision to dismiss two of its members as “problematic” since it could affect its independence and said the Community expects the Government to clarify the decision.

VMRO-DPMNE MP Bojan Stojanoski assured Lorkowski that Parliament’s Committee on Economic Affairs, Labor and Energy Policy will work on the adoption of the necessary legislation within the fastest possible timeframe.

“It is in our interest to get closer to European standards as soon as possible,” Stojanoski said.

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