Skopje, 11 June 2024 (MIA) - North Macedonia has drafted many strategies and documents, it has created policies too, but now the focus should be placed on implementation. The country needs to urgently align its national legislation with the latest EU standards and legislation on renewables and energy efficiency to keep up with the Union’s development trends. It will also have to establish the necessary mechanisms to be a part of the EU energy exchange scheme in the future, the Ambassador of the European Union to North Macedonia, David Geer, said on Tuesday. 

In his address at the 7th Macedonian Energy Forum (MEF) in Skopje, Geer stressed that energy production in North Macedonia is largely reliant on the import of fossil fuels – gas, coal, oil derivatives, which are subject to price fluctuations as well as potential supply disruptions. According to the Ambassador, the energy crisis showed that it is good to have a functional and well-connected energy market that will offer high quality services, security and certainty in the supply, as well as accessible prices, and this, he said, means that a lot of investment is necessary. 

Geer noted that the green transition requires smart solutions. The process, he said, is neither easy nor fast, and it is very important for the transition from fossil fuels to green energy to be just. Everyone working in the field of energy will have to go through new training and acquire new skills, he said. 

“Everything I mentioned must be included in the long list of things that have to be done. Looking ahead, we will need to build on the existing opportunities. North Macedonia has a lot of natural resources, wind, water, sun and has great potential to foster these renewable sources. To see that they are used more and more each year is excellent. Effective coordination between institutions and all relevant parties, supported by human and financial resources, is essential. I know that this will be a great challenge for the new government. It will be very important to urgently align the national legislation with the latest EU standards and the European legislation on renewable sources and energy efficiency to keep up with the EU’s development trends,” the EU Ambassador underlined. 

The Ambassador said the energy transition is essential all over the region and stressed that the EU is here to assist North Macedonia. 

He touched upon the Renewable Energy Directive, reminding of the goal of increasing the share of renewable energy in the EU’s overall energy consumption to 42.5% by 2030, with a possibility of additional growth by 2.5% to the level of 45%. Geer stressed that the Directive also foresees that 3% of public buildings be renovated for energy efficiency each year, as well as that all new buildings as of 2030 produce zero emissions of harmful gases. 

“Forty percent of the European energy supply network is over 40–50 years old and is around centrally installed power plants, we are very reliant on fossil fuels, it is necessary to rethink the financing on how we will supply not only the small and medium-sized enterprises, but also households. A transformation of the industry for a green future, which will make the economy more competitive, is essential,” Geer stressed. 

Photo/Video: MIA