Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro requested at the meeting of the Energy Community Ministerial Council for the introduction of the CBAM cross-border CO2 tax, scheduled for January 1, 2026, to be postponed.

The rollout of payments within the European Union’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) is going to affect companies in the region – in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Kosovo*, and Serbia.

The countries can be exempted from the CBAM on electricity. However, they are too slow in fulfilling the requirements. The results so far show there is no chance any of them can get an exception before January 1, 2026.

After the latest meeting of the Ministerial Council, the Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations of BiH Staša Košarac said his country has drafted a harmonized law on electricity for the transposition of the EU’s Third Energy Package. In his words, it was success enabled by the cooperation of the energy ministries of BiH’s both entities: the Republic of Srpska and Federation of BiH.

Košarac: We want to help businesses continue exporting without CO2 tax

The country also demonstrated good cooperation between the entity ministries by asking the Energy Community Secretariat to seek a postponement of the implementation of CBAM, Košarac noted, citing a specificity of activities carried out not only by BiH but also the other contracting parties.

He told Balkan Green Energy News the parties backed his proposal. BiH is asking to delay CBAM to allow domestic exporters to continue exporting to the EU without paying a carbon tax, Košarac added.

Mujović: Postponement until Montenegro completes electricity market coupling with the EU

Montenegrin Minister of Energy Saša Mujović confirmed for Balkan Green Energy News that he also requested a CBAM delay for a certain period.

The country is seeking an exemption from January 1, 2026, until it completes electricity market coupling with the EU, which is expected in the fourth quarter of that year, he explained.

Mujović added he supported an initiative for a longer postponement as well.

According to Vijesti, Mujović said his requests would be forwarded to the European Commission. He stressed that the ministry made and that it would continue to make efforts toward the implementation of the energy package – consisting of laws on renewables, energy, and cross-border exchange of electricity and gas – and coupling the domestic electricity market with the EU.

A postponement would save Montenegro EUR 350 million per year

With the current pace, Montenegro could finish coupling by the fourth quarter of 2026, according to Mujović. Starting the payments within CBAM on January 1, 2026, could be a huge financial burden for coal power plant Pljevlja, he said.

To achieve an exemption from CBAM, Montenegro and all other contracting parties must conduct market coupling with EU member states, so Mujović is asking for a postponement until the final quarter of 2026, when the market coupling could be completed.

He noted that a positive response from the EU would save the country EUR 350 million per year and enable Pljevlja to operate profitably.

Lorkowski: The European Commission will probably respond to the request

The secretariat’s director Artur Lorkowski confirmed that BiH minister Košarac raised the issue of a CBAM postponement. “But, CBAM isn’t our legislation. The Energy Community isn’t a proper address for that request. It was well noted by the representative of the European Commission,” he stressed.

Lorkowski assumes that follow-ups or an answer to the request are expected.

“It is the proposition of the BiH, as minister Košarac said”, he added.