Advanced Technical Training Programme on Accreditation in the Scope of the EU Emission Trading System

The Republic of Serbia undertook, as a Candidate Country for EU accession, to gradually harmonise its legislation with that of EU, including climate change legislation. The seminar entitled “Advanced Technical Training Programme on Accreditation in the Scope of the EU Emission Trading System” was held in the period between 12^th and 13^th April 2016 for the purpose of providing information to and timely preparation of interested parties to meet the requirements after the adoption of the Law on the Reduction of Greenhouse Gas Emissions. The seminar was jointly organised by the Ministry of Agriculture and Environmental Protection of the Republic of Serbia and Accreditation Body of Serbia (ATS).

EC ESRAN project provided professional and technical assistance needed for the organisation of the seminar as it is a regional project aiming at the strengthening of the capacities of the Candidate Countries for EU accession and potential Candidate Countries for EU accession as regards transposition and implementation of the legislation governing environmental protection and climate change.

The opening addresses were given by Prof. Aco Janićijević PhD, ATS Acting Director, and Danijela Božanić, Head of the Climate Change Department of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environmental Protection.

During the seminar lecturers (Monique Voogt from the Netherlands and Katherine-Lucy Candlin from the United Kingdom) presented basic requirements of the EU Emission Trading System in the field of accreditation (Regulation No. 600/2012 and Regulation No. 765/2008) and ISO 14065 and SRPS/ISO 17011 and, what is more important, practical experiences in the implementation thereof, including the future ATS activities and obligations related thereto.

Monique Voogt and Katherine-Lucy Candlin

Hence this initiated ATS preparatory activities leading to the extension of the scope thereof through introduction of the new field of accreditation (accreditation of GHG verifiers) that would be mandatory as stipulated by the said Law on the Reduction of Greenhouse Gas Emissions (public consultations phase will start in the forthcoming period). Pursuant to the provisions of the said Law, operators shall perform monitoring and report on emission levels, while third independent parties (verifiers) shall verify the validity and accuracy of submitted reports and consistency of the monitoring process. The Law will introduce obligatory monitoring of green house gases and reporting thereon in case of industrial and energy plants (there are approximately 137 of them). Hence an annual report will be produced in keeping with annual monitoring plans of operators and it serves as a basis to monitor the emission levels. The said annual report must be verified by an ISO 14065 accredited GHG verifier prior to its submission to the EU Member State competent authority. It is expected that SRPS ISO 14065 (identical with ISO 14065) will be published soon.
The seminar was attended by the representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environmental Protection and Accreditation Body of Serbia.

Seminar delegates

All materials and presentations can be downloaded from:
www.ecranetwork.org

whereas additional information, guidelines and other documents pertaining to this regulation (especially “Accreditation and Verification Regulation (AVR)”) can be found (documentation section) at:

http://ec.europa.eu/clima/policies/ets/monitoring/index_en.htm

Moreover, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environmental Protection will regularly post information about the project activities (ets-srbija.info), whereas Danijela Božanić, Head of the Climate Change Department, will act as the Ministry’s liaison person.