We met with Mr Svilanović during the conference "Energy Security and Energy Infrastructure in South East Europe" in Sofia, organized by the Energy Management Institute and the Bulgarian Diplomatic Institute. Our talk was directed toward the current challenges in South East Europe and was published in the Bulgarian UTILITIES magazine.
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Mr. Svilanović, what are the main energy challenges for the countries in South-East Europe?

It is often assumed that the greatest incentive for regional cooperation in South East Europe (SEE) is the future prospect of admission into the European Union. Regionalization, by creating larger markets, creates attractive investing support unities while providing the lowest economic prices possible. Restructuring in the energy sector also offers greater transparency and curbing corruption.

The technical challenges of meeting these goals raise a separate set of issues as the quality of governance in SEE falls short of that in EU countries, and this raises questions about the ability to implement reforms in a beneficial manner. In that respect, Energy Community, as the main regional actor in this field in SEE, faces a number of additional challenges. One of the largest of these is compliance with complex obligations on which the European model of energy market liberalization is based. Given the technocratic challenges of compliance, a concern is whether the countries of Energy Community that substantially differ in terms of their governance performance will rise to these challenges.


What is the current level of cooperation between the parliaments in the region in the field of energy?

Parliamentary cooperation in the field of energy in the region is active. One of the most recent joint activities that RCC has contributed to was the conference of parliamentarians from the SEE region “Energy. Development. Democracy: How successful policy dialogue can ensure sustainable use of energy and climate protection in South East Europe?", held in Podgorica, Montenegro in late September 2015. This conference was held to exchange information and ideas, to improve better understanding of dynamics and direction of the EU and global sustainable energy and climate protection targets but also specific challenges for South East Europe countries and to share examples of a successful creation and implementation of policies that will help preparing the SEE region for being fully integrated into the European energy space. This Conference was a segment of a regional initiative “Public Dialogue on the Sustainable Use of Energy in South-East Europe”, with the support of RCC and German Development Cooperation (GIZ) and its Open Regional Fund for South East Europe – Energy Efficiency.


What would be the effects of the developments in Macedonia and Bosnia and Herzegovina on the prospects for new energy corridors in South-East Europe?

Bosnia and Herzegovina and FYR Macedonia and the region will need to make substantial upgrades in their connectivity. Poor interconnectedness of the region’s economies by road, rail, water, air and energy networks affects adversely the growth of markets. Moving goods, services, capital and people across the region depends not only on good infrastructure but also on affordable services. Significant infrastructural interventions in transport and energy sectors are expected to widen access to markets and make the private sectors and societies at large in Bosnia and Herzegovina, FYR Macedonia and SEE as a whole, better integrated regionally and with the EU.


The Energy Union Strategy from February 2015 calls for greater cooperation between the European Union and its closest neighbors. What would be the effects on the countries in our region?

In spite of somewhat troubled circumstances, I have a strong conviction that the “Energy union” per se and its extension to South Еast Europe is a feasible project as long as there is sufficient political will on all sides. Security, competitiveness and sustainability remain the three pillars on which South East European security and economic perspectives rest, making us responsible for acceleration our efforts and remove obstacles to developing a genuine Energy Union complemented by regional energy networks and secure external energy relationships.


What are your expectations from the conference, organized in Sofia by the Energy Management Institute and the Diplomatic Institute?

I would like to congratulate the Bulgarian Chairmanship-in-office of the SEECP and in particular the Bulgarian Diplomatic Institute and the Energy Management Institute for organizing this important event and placing the issue of regional cooperation in the energy sector so high on their regional cooperation agenda. It is a privilege and a pleasure to present at this meeting and provide the views and insights into issues of energy security and infrastructure in South East Europe. I expect the voice of SEE economies to be heard in this forum, as discussions about energy security and infrastructure in South East Europe of today, are to be seen in a broad context of recent events. I believe that the conference “Energy security and energy infrastructure in South East Europe” will provide this broader context.
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Goran Svilanović took office as the Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council on 1 January 2013, and his re-appointment was approved at the summit of the South-East European Cooperation Process (SEECP) Heads of State or Government in Tirana on 26 June 2015 for a second term due to begin in January 2016.
A Serbian diplomat and politician, he previously served as Co-ordinator of the OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities (2008-2012). In November 2004, he became Chairman of Working Table I (democratization and human rights) of the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe, where he served until the end of 2007. He was a member of the Senior Review Group of the Stability Pact, which proposed the transformation of the Stability Pact into the Regional Co-operation Council.
From 2000 to 2004, Mr Svilanović was the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, which was renamed to Serbia and Montenegro in 2003. Between 2000 and 2007, he was a Member of the Serbian Parliament. He was President of the Civic Alliance of Serbia political party (1999-2004).
With a Ph.D. from the Union University in Belgrade, Masters and undergraduate law degrees from the University of Belgrade, Mr Svilanovic has also studied at the Institute for Human Rights in Strasbourg, France, the University of Saarland in Germany, and the European University Center for Peace Studies in Staadtschlaining, Austria.
Mr Svilanovic has worked with a number of organizations and committees, such as the Centre for Antiwar Action (1995-1999), the International Commission on the Balkans (2004-2006) and the Belgrade Centre for Human Rights (2007-2008). Since 2008, Mr Svilanovic has been Assistant Professor of Law at the Union University in Belgrade.
Goran Svilanović speaks Serbian and English. He was born on 22 October 1963. He is married and has two children.