The Presidential Council for Energy Transition on Wednesday presented guidelines to speed up the energy transition, notably to increase the share of renewable sources, remove obstacles to the development of district heating and promote the decarbonisation of cities, the President's Office said in a press release.

The energy transition should in particular focus on increasing competitiveness, promoting innovation, reducing negative effects on human health and the environment, and ensuring the energy independence of Croatia, according to the guidelines.

The Council meeting also involved President Zoran Milanovic and was joined by the Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development, Tomislav Coric, and his assistants as guests.

Speaking before the meeting, the Special Presidential Adviser on Energy and Climate, Julije Domac, said that the Council for Energy Transition was continuing dialogue and cooperation with the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development.

“We will discuss ways of accelerating the energy transition in Croatia, seizing technological and financial opportunities and making things more successful than they are now,” Domac said.

The Council includes experts, business people, representatives of energy companies and state institutions who put their ideas, knowledge and experience at the Ministry’s disposal, he said, adding that the Council and the Ministry have been engaged in dialogue for more than a year now with a view to making the energy transition in Croatia successful.

“We are looking at how to ensure that our citizens benefit from renewable energy sources and the energy transition in general. Ambitious goals have already been set in national documents, and the new EU regulation ‘Fit for 55’ will make these goals even more ambitious for Croatia and other EU member states. This will require the coordination of our know-how to respond to the challenges, achieve such ambitious and green targets and contribute to people’s quality of life. The energy transition is not just about technology, sources of funding, strategic great values, but also about the quality of life for all of us living and working in Croatia. In that regard, we are continuing the good cooperation with the Ministry,” Domac said.

Coric said he regarded the Council as a good tool both for discussion and for criticism of the energy transition and energy sector in Croatia.

“We will be glad to hear how the Council members see the energy transition, given that it will be a very challenging process over the next decades as Europe and Croatia head towards climate neutrality by 2050. We from the Ministry will present our arguments about what has been done and what we plan to do. I am confident that the Council’s conclusions will help in shaping policies for the benefit of all our citizens and transforming Croatia into what we want. Our vision is for Croatia to become a country of renewable energy sources, a green economy and ultimately a climate neutral society in the decades ahead,” Coric said.