Western Balkan countries, which have set their sights on EU membership, are still propping up coal power with large public subsidies worth more than €1.2 billion, a new report revealed on Monday (25 March). The subsidies are not in line with EU regulations or decarbonisation efforts.
Without the subsidies, energy costs would soar by some 23% in Kosovo, 29% in North Macedonia, 31% in Bosnia and Herzegovina, 37% in Montenegro and 49% in Serbia.
“The Western Balkan governments are setting themselves up for a shock once they enter the EU Emissions Trading Scheme,” said Igor Kalaba of Climate Action Network Europe….
An excerpt from Euractiv