Serbia has opened a public consultation process for amendments to its Law on the Use of Renewable Energy Sources, seeking to align the legislation with European Union directives while meeting reform obligations necessary to access EU grants under the Growth Plan for the Western Balkans.
The Ministry of Mining and Energy is inviting written proposals and suggestions from interested parties until 7 July at oie@mre.gov.rs. The amendments aim to align Serbian legislation fully with the EU’s Renewable Energy Directive RED2 and partially with RED3, while also incorporating Serbia’s Integrated National Energy and Climate Plan and the country’s obligations under the EU Reform and Growth Facility’s reform agenda.
The proposed changes cover several key areas. On permitting, the amendments envision establishing contact points to guide applicants through approval procedures and streamlining permitting deadlines — addressing one of the most persistent barriers to renewable energy project development in the Western Balkans. A new framework for renewable acceleration areas would enable spatial and energy mapping to designate priority zones for renewable development through planning documents, with environmental protection rules maintained.
The guarantees of origin system would be expanded beyond electricity to cover renewable gases including biomethane and hydrogen, as well as energy for heating and cooling including waste heat. The incentive system for renewable electricity generation is to be strengthened around principles of transparency, competitiveness, non-discrimination and cost-effectiveness, with auctions aligned to power system stability needs and market price signals.
The legislation would also improve the regulatory framework for prosumers — formally termed buyers-producers in Serbian law — clarifying rights to generate for self-consumption, store electricity, use net billing for surpluses and sell excess output on the market. The amendments would address jointly acting prosumers in shared buildings and the role of third parties in ownership, management and maintenance of generation and storage facilities. The framework for renewable energy communities, including participation by households and local authorities, would also be upgraded.
