Djedovic Handanovic: Serbia meets preconditions for electricity market integration

ATHENS - Serbia meets the preconditions for integrating with the European electricity market and it is up to EU institutions to finish their part of the work to ensure that happens in Q1 2026, Serbian Minister of Energy and Mining Dubravka Djedovic Handanovic said on Thursday in Athens, where she is attending a ministerial meeting of the Energy Community.

"Our objective is to connect with the Hungarian market. One of the topics is also the introduction of carbon emission taxes," the minister told the RTS, adding that the Serbian delegation would be insisting on all topics of importance to the country, as well as on benefits to be had from integrating with the European electricity market.

Djedovic Handanovic said the EU insisted on the introduction of carbon emission taxes.

"But we are defending our position that it should not happen overnight and that the region should have time to prepare. We have conducted the necessary analyses to see to what extent it would affect our economy and businesses. We will be defending our position of a gradual introduction of taxes to protect our economy, our competitiveness and our businesses," Djedovic Handanovic said.

Energy ministers from the region and EU officials will discuss energy challenges, focusing on two key topics - accelerated integration of electricity markets and decarbonisation through introducing carbon emission taxes.