North Macedonia

North Macedonia made some level of progress in the implementation of the electricity, gas, oil, energy efficiency and climate acquis. It made progress in the better usage of its gas interconnector with Bulgaria. The country is one of the best performers when it comes to the implementation of the Oil Stocks Directive.

North Macedonia failed to improve the legal and regulatory framework for the uptake of renewables and continued to punch below its weight when it comes to reaching its renewables potential. Its environmental track record remains low, with lack of environmental impact assessment legislation and non-compliance with emission ceilings under the National Emission Reduction Plan.

The country adopted its National Energy and Climate Plan and continued to make progress in the drafting of the Law of Climate Action. North Macedonia is in the early stages of transposing the 2021 Clean Energy Package, with the exception of the electricity legislation where work is yet to begin.

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The certification of the transmission system operator should be done in the shortest possible timeframe, and the relevant secondary acts be finalized and approved without further delay. The new transmission system operator has to proceed with full implementation of all rules relevant to system operation, overcoming gaps in place for the last decade. This will also speed up regional integration, including unblocking capacities at the existing infrastructure and constructing the new interconnectors. Regulatory rules to complete full transposition of REMIT Regulation shall be adopted.

The security of supply framework should be transposed as soon as possible to reduce the country’s supply risks. There are very few households connected to the gas distribution network, but ensuring gas supplies for the next winter is crucial for heat (60 - 80%) and electricity production (20%) to supply the population. The contraction of required gas volumes also depends on the release of capacity at the interconnection point with Bulgaria.

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North Macedonia should transpose Directive 2014/52/EU and update the national procedural EIA guidelines. The SEA procedure for the NECP should be finalized. Any follow-up revision of the NECP should be used to reflect and integrate the measures anticipated by the SEA report. North Macedonia has to ensure compliance with the NERP ceilings.

The completion of the procedure for the draft management plan for the Ramsar site “Ohrid lake” should be a priority. The Bern Convention Recommendation concerning the conflicts of hydropower development in protected areas should be fully taken into account. The transposition of the provisions of the Environmental Liability Directive should be carried out without delay.