Negotiations between BiH and Montenegro on the dispute around the Buk Bijela hydropower project are yielding results. They agreed to conduct another environmental impact assessment study as part of the second phase of their roadmap.
Following a meeting facilitated by the Energy Community Secretariat’s Environmental Expert, Aleksandra Bujaroska, the cross-border dialogue group comprising representatives from Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro has reached an agreement on the second phase of the roadmap for the Buk Bijela hydropower project. The focus is on conducting a new environmental impact assessment (EIA) study. The agreement advances collaborative efforts to ensure the EIA for Buk Bijela in BiH meets stringent environmental standards, the secretariat said.
The dialogue group will define the scope of the new study, incorporate the latest scientific data, including input from the public and relevant authorities, and thoroughly examine all transboundary impacts, according to the announcement. Both delegations acknowledged the progress achieved in the first phase of the roadmap. Key outcomes included the verification of geodetic survey reports and hydrological measurements, confirming the initial steps of the dialogue, the Energy Community Secretariat added.
Gornja Drina is owned by Serbia’s state-controlled power utility Elektroprivreda Srbije, or EPS (51%), and the Republic of Srpska’s Elektroprivreda Republike Srpske (ERS).
