Coal on the Balkans: Last Gasp of Old Industry or End of Sustainable Development?

The energy sector in the Western Balkan Region faces a number of profound transformation challenges. Infrastructure is largely outdated and in urgent need of modernization. Global trends and the fight against climate change in line with the Paris agreement require fast reform steps towards decarbonisation and cleaner production. The countries of the region have united with the EU in the European Energy Community with the aim of integration into EU energy markets contributing to enhanced energy security, to attractiveness for modernisation investments and to improved sustainability standards. However, national administrations often lack capacities for developing and implementing a consistent reform agenda under the difficult socio-economic circumstances. What is more, they are under pressure or captured by political and business elites linked to strong commercial interests or corruption schemes based on exploiting natural resources and disregard of environmental standards. Thus, the reform agenda promoted by the Energy Community to some extent fails to deliver the targeted results such as the implementation of the Large Combustion Plants Directive until end of 2017. Air quality remains extremely poor. New Chinese funded coal power projects such as in Tuzla let climate protection and sustainability recede into the distance. The speakers will share their insights from the region. Which social, economic and ecologic implications has the transition to a low carbon economy on the Western Balkan? Who promotes new coal projects for what reasons? And how can the EU and leading member countries such as Germany better integrate decarbonisation strategies into the EU approximation agenda and strengthen the commitment to the Energy Community Treaty?

With:

• Denis Žiško, Centre for Ecology and Energy, Tuzla/ Bosnien-Herzegowina
• Pippa Gallop, CEE Bankwatch, Zagreb
• Dr. Dirk Buschle, Deputy Director, Energy Community Secretariat, Vienna

Moderation: Jörg Haas, Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung e.V.

Information:

Robert Sperfeld
Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung
Dept. East and South East Europe
E. sperfeld@boell.de
T. +49 30 28534-363

Petra Zimmermann
Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung
Dept. East and South East Europe
E. zimmermann@boell.de
T. +49 30 28534-365