The Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) filed an appeal on Friday against the energy regulator's decision to liberalize the energy market for large businesses in the country, saying it will file a lawsuit in court if the decision is not overturned within 15 days.
PDK MP Abelard Tahiri said at a press conference in Pristina that the party has submitted an administrative objection to the Energy Regulatory Office (ERO).
He said that ERO should "immediately suspend the implementation of this decision, otherwise after 15 days PDK will proceed to the Basic Court of Pristina, where it will be requested that a temporary measure be imposed on its implementation as soon as possible."
ERO's decision to liberalize the energy market will enter into force on June 1, and it means that all large businesses will no longer be supplied with energy through regulated tariffs, but must find their own supplier in the free market.
If they fail to do so, they automatically switch to the open market at unregulated prices.
Tahiri argued that ERO's decision constitutes "a serious blow to the country's economy, risking massive bankruptcies, unsustainable price increases and a new wave of inflation that hits citizens and consumers."
This decision applies to companies with over 50 employees or an annual turnover of over 10 million euros. There are over 1,000 such companies registered in Kosovo, consuming around 37% of the total energy consumed.
"ERO has acted without considering the reactions of civil society, chambers of commerce and professional organizations, and without even fulfilling the preconditions it had set for a safe and fair market liberalization process," said Tahiri.
Business representatives say they are against the liberalization of the energy market, as the necessary preparations for this change have not been made. They are demanding that this decision be postponed for a year.
The issue brought hundreds of business representatives to the streets on Thursday, temporarily blocking entrances to the capital in protest of the liberalization of the energy market, for which Kosovo's acting Prime Minister, Albin Kurti, criticized the country's Chamber of Commerce, saying it "has done nothing" to prepare them for this process.
ERO stands by its decision, saying that it can only be challenged through legal channels.
Tahiri emphasized that "there are no conditions" for an open, fair and competitive market.
"The situation becomes even more alarming due to KESCO's dominant position in the market, while most other licensed operators are not producers, but only energy traders, offering prices up to 280% higher," Tahiri added.
Currently, 21 energy supply companies are licensed in the market, while another is in the licensing process. Most of them are from Kosovo, but some are from the region.
The Energy Supply Operator, KESCO, which currently supplies most household and industrial consumers, is one of them.
If a company fails to find a supplier, it automatically switches to the Supplier of Last Resort – currently the Kosovo Energy Corporation (KEK), which is selected through an open tender by ERO.
ERO says that from June 1, businesses that have not chosen a commercial company will automatically switch to this supplier./ REL (A2 Televizion)
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