UPES organized training for representatives of local self-government units

 

The Serbian Energy Law Association (UPES), in cooperation with the Standing Conference of Town and Municipalities, and with the support of the office of Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung e.V. in Belgrade, organized, in the period from 28-30 September, 2022, in the “Norcev” hotel on Iriški Venac, a training for local self-government representatives in the energy law entitled: “Energy transition in local self-government and how to achieve it”. Dr. Branislava Lepotić Kovačević, president of UPES and Tibor Moldvai, representative of Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung e.V., spoke at the opening of the training. They pointed out the importance of this training, the great interest of the representatives of the local self-government units in the topics of the training and the need for such trainings.

The lectures dealt with the most current issues related to the energy transition. On the first day of the training, Dr. Branislava Lepotić Kovačević spoke about energy law and its role in the functioning of the energy market. In addition, together with Miloš Kuzman, vice president of UPES, she presented aspects of the energy transition in the regulations of the Republic of Serbia. Miloš Kuzman also presented the most important details related to the Paris Agreement and the Law on Climate Change. Iva Đinđić Ćosić, member of the UPES Management Board, spoke about the Agreement on the Establishment of the Energy Community. After that, Dunja Grujić, associate member of UPES, explained the ways of functioning, connection and calculation for prosumers.

On the second day of the training, Miodrag Gluščević, representative of the Permanent Conference of Cities and Municipalities, spoke about strategic planning documents in the field of energy and of importance for energy and about their effects and requirements for local self-government. Then Antonela Solujić, representative of the Ministry of Mining and Energy, explained the role of local self-government in the implementation of energy and climate policy, as well as the effects on local self-government and the quality of life in local self-government. This was followed by a lecture by Vuk Stanković, vice president of UPES, on the topic of applying the FIDIC model of construction contracts in the public sector. Then Aleksandar Kovačević, an expert in energy economics, a member of UPES, spoke about the structuring of investments in energy in the local self-government units. At the end, Dejan Stojanović, director of the “Toplane Srbija” business association, spoke about the possibilities of improvement in the public and private sector in the field of energy in order to improve the quality of life in the local area.

The training was attended by representatives of local governments, including representatives of Kragujevac, Novi Pazar, Preševo, Dimitrovgrad, Kikinda, Niš, Pirot, Valjevo, Smederevska Palanka, Bajina Bašta, Svilajnac, Kraljevo, Plandište and Ivanjica.