Macedonian exporters in the EU must prepare for the costs of decarbonization of production in order to reduce the emission of harmful gases. The fact that the regulation regulating the mechanism for cross-border adjustment of carbon dioxide (CO2) has already been adopted shows that the EU takes the problem seriously.

The regulation applies to the import of products with a high carbon dioxide content, in accordance with international trade rules to prevent the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions that the EU aims to offset with products originating in non-member countries. EU, where climate policies are less ambitious than in the EU. In addition, the mechanism will help prevent the relocation of production facilities or the import of products with a high carbon presence. Simply put, the tax is levied on those goods arriving in the EU from countries where taxation for the purposes of decarbonisation does not work.

According to the information of "Sloboden Pechat", the transitional phase of the application of the regulation will begin on October 1, 2023 and last for the next two years, while product importers will submit the first report to the European Commission by January 31, 2024. The gradual collection of the tax begins on January 1, 2026, and its full amount of 100 percent from 2034. The regulation applies to cement, aluminum, artificial waste, power generation, iron and steel, plastic... This will not apply to exporters that have advanced technology in their process.

If the list is not changed, the carbon tax will affect the Macedonian exporters of iron and steel, which in 2021 brought us revenues of 466 million euros, this of course also includes the export of cement, from which 17,6 million euros were realized in the same year. as well as the export of electricity.

- The new EU tax affects one tenth of the total exports of the Western Balkans region. The tax will have a negative impact on the processing industry of Serbia and the countries of the Western Balkans, which export those products to the EU market. The new decarbonization cost will significantly reduce the price competitiveness of exports from countries outside the EU, which in principle can be understood considering the fact that the decarbonization process costs money - says Serbian expert Ivan Nikolic.

In addition, companies from the region have an additional problem because their competition in the EU has been receiving generous subsidies for years through the emissions trading system to easily wait for the implementation of the mentioned mechanism.

 Shukova: We will regulate decarbonization by law

The reduction of carbon dioxide emissions, decarbonization, will be regulated by law, and the economy is ready to implement it, the Minister of Ecology Kaja Shukova mentioned recently. She considered that the green agenda for the Western Balkans is a serious tool that we should strive for, because some of its principles indicate how important decarbonization is for Europe.

- For decarbonization, we will need legislation in the area of ​​climate action, which I hope we will soon submit to the Parliament. However, the private sector has also shown that it is ready for climate action - Shukova added.