Daniela Gašparíková, UNDP Resident Representative to Montenegro 

It is my pleasure to be here today and again be able to reflect on recommendations from ‘Green Days’ conference recently organized in cooperation with our partners from the Chamber of Commerce and the Ministry of Sustainable Development and Tourism. 

As we concluded during the conference, we share a common vision for green economy and sustainability for Montenegro, while understanding that the green economy represents an opportunity for innovation in companies. 

business models; it’s also a wise thing to do from the investment perspective. It requires bold action and reform in crucial sectors of the economy.

Today’s event represents an opportunity to take forward the concept of the green economy. It recognizes change affecting EU energy policies and taking additional steps to incorporate positive recommendations in Montenegro’s system and practices.

As you are aware Montenegro, as a signatory to the Treaty establishing the Energy Community, is under obligation to harmonise its legislation with the acquis communautaire and other relevant legislation in force in the Energy Community.

The EU has agreed a comprehensive update of its energy policy framework to facilitate the transition away from fossil fuels towards cleaner energy and to deliver on the EU’s Paris Agreement commitments for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

The shift includes setting up ambitious goals regarding the binding share of energy from renewable sources and energy efficiency goals, as well as the organization of the electricity market. The idea behind the better organization of the electricity market is that it should not only enable economic growth, but also reduce the cost of electricity, thus eliminating the so-called "energy poverty". At the same time, it will also contribute to better environmental protection and reduce emissions by as much as 45% realising the vision of a climate-neutral economy by 2050.

Proposed amendments within the Clean energy for all Europeans package emphasize and put customers (individual households, small businesses etc) at the forefront. A customer has more choices, strengthened rights; and the role of customers who themselves produce electricity from renewable sources and deliver it to the network is better defined. We are witnessing emergence of consumers that are producing energy from RES, referred to as ‘prosumers’. Due to improved regulatory framework and technology progress, renewables are becoming more cost-competitive and flexible, allowing citizens to get actively involved – both individually and collectively. 

Research shows[i] that almost half of EU households could produce renewable energy by 2050. Combined with citizens involvement in more broadly define sector, with energy storage and energy efficiency factored in, as many as 83% of Europe’s citizens could be active in the energy sector by 2050. For Europe to realise this potential, regulation and policy needs to keep the pace and create an enabling environment for this potential to take off. Same applies for Montenegro.

As a result, UNDP and the Ministry of Economy initiated preparation of analysis to identify possibilities for increasing decentralised solar energy production in Montenegro, with a view to better understand the current situation and the way it could be improved to allow for energy consumers to become producers should they wish to do so.

Result of this work will be presented today, and I hope that today’s exchanges of ideas and presentations will ignite activities that will secure transition and supporting citizens and energy communities to realise the full social innovation potential this sector offers.

Donwload the study in local language here