Although Montenegro has made some progress in merging the Montenegrin and Italian markets, it has not met the conditions for exemption from CBAM.
This is stated in the reaction of the CEE Bankwatch Network and the NGO Ekotim to the announcement that the Minister of Energy Saša Mujović, at the 22nd ministerial meeting of the Energy Community Council in Vienna, requested that Montenegro be exempted from the application of the CBAM mechanism, which begins to be applied from January 1. January 2026.
"The conclusions of the Ministerial Council of the Energy Community do not contain any information about the request for exemption from CBAM, and if he asked for it, then the minister has completely unrealistic expectations about the European Commission's ability or will to adapt EU legislation," said Nataša Kovačević from CEE Bankwatch Network.
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It clarifies that the consent of the European Parliament and the member states is required.
"Why would the entire EU agree to an exemption for Montenegro because of a coal-fired thermal power plant that operates illegally? The exemption from CBAM is clearly defined in the EU Regulation and in order to comply with them, Montenegro must introduce a functional system of paying for carbon dioxide emissions instead of The final National Energy and Climate Plan must take a realistic look at the Pljevlja thermal power plant, taking into account its technical condition and the necessary investments to reduce emissions of the emissions trading system until 2030 will make the Pljevlja thermal power plant economically unprofitable before 2041, and that after 2030 it will only serve as a cold reserve for energy supply emergencies," Kovačević said.
Milija Čabarkapa from the NGO Ekotim called on the Government of Montenegro to urgently revise the year of exit from coal, i.e. the closing of the Pljevlja Thermal Power Plant, and to transparently show the public what the proposed deadline from the draft of the National Energy and Climate Plan is based on.
"The decision to close must be based on comprehensive analyzes of the decarbonization scenario and the development of the energy sector, including economic sustainability, the impact on energy supply and the health of citizens. Also, social analyzes are necessary that will assess the consequences for employment and propose solutions for workers affected by the transition. Without of these key studies and a realistic assessment of the situation, every unrealistic plan threatens the health of citizens, energy stability and the European path of Montenegro", said Čabarkapa.
According to the CEE Bankwatch Network report "Comply or Close" during 2023 alone, sulfur dioxide emissions from the thermal power plant amounted to 44.017 tons, nitrogen oxides to 3.982 tons, while dust particle emissions increased from 560 tons in 2022 to as much as 1.130 tons in 2023. .
"A clear signal for the Government should be the statements from the latest opinion of the European Commission on the report on the progress of Montenegro, clearly emphasizing that "the reconstruction of the coal-fired thermal power plant in Pljevlje will not solve the key issues", with the message that "Montenegro should strengthen its efforts for permanent closure thermal power plants, in order to meet the EU standards for emissions". Although the EU's message on this issue is clear, the Government of Montenegro, in the draft of the Energy and Climate Plan, determined an unrealistic year of exiting from coal, i.e. electricity production from fossil fuels until 2041, ignoring the assumed contractual obligation and CBAM".
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