Wolf Theiss indentifies key growth opportunities in RES-Electricity market in CEE & SEE coming out of key legislative changes in past year

As WOLF THEISS launches an updated version of its authoritative guide to RES-electricity, first published in March 2010, legislative changes in areas such as permitting, licensing, promotion schemes including feed-in tariffs, green certificates and carbon credits, are providing investors with a more transparent and stable legislative framework.

While most countries in the CEE/SEE region in the last year have made significant amendments to their RES legislation, notable among these have been Bulgaria and Romania. Key changes include:

– In Bulgaria, at the beginning of April, the Parliament implemented the Directive 2009/29/ EC as part its new RES Act. This places the country among the shortlist of EU countries currently providing strong incentives for RES investors.

– Romania and Poland are among the few countries in the CEE/SEE region using a green certificate rather than a feed-in tariff support scheme. Romania supports RES-Electricity through comprehensive legislation which introduces a combination of tradable Green Certificates (“GCs”) together with the obligation of electricity suppliers to purchase a pro rata of the GCs issued.

“A predictable investment environment is high on the list of priorities for stakeholders in the still emerging RES-electricity market in CEE & SEE,” says Bryan Jardine, the Wolf Theiss partner who supervises the Firm’s renewable energy practice. “Great strides have been made in the last year to address identified concerns and to create a more favorable investment climate. However, many investors are not as yet fully aware of the impact that these legislative changes may have on the viability and potential growth for the RES sector. Prudent stakeholders should access all relevant sources of information to stay abreast of the key RES developments and opportunities present in this region.”

Wolf Theiss’ updated “Guide to Generating Electricity from Renewable Sources in Central, Eastern & Southeastern Europe” provides a detailed overview of the legislative changes over the last year in 14 jurisdictions including Albania, Austria, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Kosovo, Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovak Republic, Slovenia and Ukraine. To obtain a copy or to view the guide, please go to