Conference Report: Energy Law environment and investments in the context and after the COVID-19

On 8-9 December 2020, UPES held a conference in the form of a webinar. The title of the conference is: ENERGY LAW, ENVIRONMENT AND INVESTMENTS IN THE CONTEXT AND AFTER THE COVID-19.

The conference was opened by the President of UPES, Dr. Branislava Lepotić Kovačević, while the introductory speech was given by the President of the European Federation of Energy Law Associations (EFELA), Mr. Vincente Lopez-Ibor Mayor.

The key topics of the conference were discussed through two sessions:

  1. Energy law, energy consumers and environment in the context and after COVID – 19 – which discussed the further development of EU energy law in the context of the EU Green Deal and the role of the Energy Community in such development, spoke about the role of prosumers in the energy market and the advantages of this concept, indicated the importance of an efficient ventilation system in the fight against the COVID – 19 pandemic and presented the importance of EU regulations in the field of electric mobility, with special reference to the regulations of Greece in the field.

The introductory lecture in this session was given by the Deputy Director and Legal Counsel of the Energy Community Secretariat, Prof. Dirk Buschle, the moderator was Mrs. Iva Đinđić Ćosić, Head of the Energy Law Service, JSC EMS Belgrade, while the speakers were: Energy law Consultant, Mr. David Lockhart, Mr. Shaun Green from Volution Group UK and Partner in the Rokas Law Firm in Athens, Mrs. Mira Todorović Simeonides.

The concluding remarks of this session were presented by Mr. Miloš Kuzman, Upstream Legal Advisor, NIS jsc Novi Sad.

and

  1. Energy law, investments and environment in the context and after COVID – 19 – which referred to the EU Green Deal and its significance for the recovery of EU countries from the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, pointed out the need to adopt legislation to achieve the goals of the Green Deal, presented the concept of the green agenda for the Western Balkans and the challenges and opportunities faced by the Energy Community in the process of achieving the goals of the Green Deal within Energy Community Member States, pointed out the interdependence of energy law and climate change in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic as well as opportunities for improving this interdependence due to the shortcomings shown during the COVID-19 pandemic, and finally talked about the importance of investments in the energy sector towards achieving the goals of the Green Deal.

The introductory lecture in this session was given by Mr. Christian Egenhofer, Senior Researcher and Head of the Energy and Climate program at the Center for European Policy Studies (CEPS), the moderator was Mr. Vuk Stanković, Head of Rokas International Law Firm in Belgrade, while the speakers were: Dr. Rozeta Karova, Senior energy lawyer in the Energy Community Secretariat, Mrs. Ivone Rocha, Partner at Telles de Abreu Law Firm in Lisboa and Consultant in the field of energy economics in Castle European UK, Mr. Aleksandar Kovačević.

The concluding remarks of this session were presented by Mrs. Aleksandra Petrović, Attorney at Law at Moravcevic Vojnovic and partners in cooperation with Schönherr.

The closing lecture of the conference was given by Professor for Global Energy Law & Sustainability at the Centre for Energy, Petroleum and Mineral Law and Policy at the University of Dundee, Dr. Raphael Heffron, who spoke about the energy law in the world of forthcoming climate change and the current transition in the energy sector.

The conference was attended by approximately 100 participants: lawyers and other experts in the field of energy from the Republic of Serbia and abroad, members of EFELA as well as members of national associations in the field of energy law of other countries, representatives of professional associations in the field of energy, representatives of important energy companies from the Republic of Serbia and abroad, representatives of institutions in the field of energy and others of importance for energy.

Agenda of the conference with detailed report.

The speakers’ presentations are available below:

Conference first day – December 8th

  1. Dirk Buschlе
  2. David Lockhart
  3. Shaun Green
  4. Mira Todorović Symeonides

 

Conference second day – December 9th

  1. Christian Egenhofer
  2. Rozeta Karovа
  3. Ivone Rocha
  4. Alekdandar Kovačević
  5. Raphael Heffron

The conference was supported by: – Heinrich Böll Stiftung Belgrade, BDK Advokati, Moravčević Vojnović and Partners AOD in cooperation with Schönherr, Mladenović & Stanković in cooperation with Rokas, Karanovic & Partners, Petrikić & Partners AOD in cooperation with CMS Reich-Rohrwig Hainz and the Serbian Chamber of Commerce.