Energy and environment - priority in EU accession talks

BELGRADE - Serbia has set energy and environment as priority issues in the EU accession process and, according to estimates, it will need to invest over EUR 10.6 billion in harmonization with the relevant EU standards by 2030, said the participants of a conference held Wednesday in Belgrade.

Opening the conference on energy and environment in Serbia on its way towards the EU, organized at the Serbian parliament, Minister of Environmental Protection Snezana Bogosavljevic-Boskovic said that the sum could be significantly higher due to the last year's floods.

She pointed to protection of water sources, waste management and industrial pollution as the most challenging issues.

Head of Serbia's negotiating team in the EU accession talks Tanja Miscevic said that Serbia has done a good job adopting the laws on energy and environmental protection, areas identified as the priority in the EU accession process, stressing that the authorities must ensure that the laws are implemented in practice.

The conference on environmental protection was organized by the European Policy Center (CEP).

Photo Tanjug Video, camera operator Milan Romanjuk