Implementing the European Energy Award and providing project support in pilot municipalities in Serbia

Initiated in 2018, the Municipal Energy Efficiency and Management Project (MEEMP) in Serbia aimed to support the four Serbian pilot municipalities of Krusevac, Paracin, Uzice, and Vrbas on their forward-looking journey towards increasingly sustainable energy and climate policy development. By the project’s conclusion in the fall of 2023, all four municipalities achieved institutionalized energy management, obtained the European Energy Award label, renovated numerous buildings, and implemented various other projects relevant to energy and climate policy.

The three main pillars of the MEEMP project were (1) the introduction of the European Energy Award (eea) as a quality management system in the municipalities and strengthening local accountability in the energy planning process, (2) the renovation of 14 public schools and kindergartens, showcasing a 69% reduction in CO2 emissions per year, as exemplary models for energy-efficient buildings, and (3) enhancing local capacity by systematically building relevant competencies through targeted training and workshops. Following the successful implementation of the five-year MEEMP project, the municipalities continued to receive support from the project team for several months, enabling the consolidation and targeted expansion of the achieved results

By actively leveraging the decision-making latitude of the four Serbian municipalities and providing support in the implementation of energy efficiency measures, MEEMP guided the municipalities in fulfilling their legal obligations. This included, among other things, the introduction of a local energy management system and the enhancement of monitoring and reporting on energy consumption in public buildings, following the systematic framework mandated by Serbian law.

The goals of renovating public buildings to enhance their energy efficiency (Component 2) and expanding local and national capacities (Component 3) were also successfully achieved. Furthermore, the introduction of the ‘European Energy Award Serbia’ process in all municipalities (Component 1) increased their motivation to go beyond legal requirements and become a national example of an energy-efficient city. The following additional activities were successfully planned and implemented within this framework:

• All four municipalities were able to develop a spatial heat supply program with corresponding action planning, significantly supporting them in establishing a sustainable and locally resource-based, preferably low-carbon heat supply.
• All municipalities developed an eco-friendly behaviour and procurement framework, aiming to reduce energy consumption and conserve resources within the municipal administration.
• All municipalities have devised a communication strategy, focusing particularly on the dissemination of energy policy-relevant topics and projects.

At the project’s conclusion, all four pilot municipalities were assessed and awarded the European Energy Award Serbia label for their exceptional achievements in energy policy.

MEEMP was implemented by an international consortium consisting of experienced Swiss and Serbian companies, led by ENCO. It was coordinated by the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs of Switzerland (SECO) and the Ministry of Mining and Energy of the Republic of Serbia (MoME). The project spanned a duration of 60 months, with an additional 11-month extension, and was executed with a total budget of 10.36 million CHF.

MEEMP was selected as the National Winner (Serbia) of the Energy Globe Award 2021 : https://energyglobe.info/national/winner/serbia»

Additional communication materials providing detailed information about Krusevac, Paracin, Uzice, and Vrbas, as well as a brochure on the Serbian European Energy Award, offer in-depth insights into the project’s outcomes. The following video also illustrates the study trip of the Serbian representatives to Switzerland