Closed on 30/09/2021
* Admissibility date reflects the date the case was officially registered. All other dates pertain to the date in which a stage was completed.
Case Description
Complaint
On 21 September 2014, a complaint was lodged with the EIB Complaints Mechanism in which the complainant elaborated on the project to build six electrical substations implemented by the Public Enterprise “EMS” (the promoter) and financed by the EIB. Among the above-mentioned substations, the complainant challenged the impact of the substation Belgrade 20 and the electric transmission line 400 KW n. 451 “Belgrade 8 – Pancevo “.
EIB-CM Action
In order to assess the allegations received, the EIB-CM was in communication with the EIB services involved in the project and carried out a stakeholder engagement and fact-finding mission to Belgrade. The EIB-CM also reviewed different project documents, under which all disbursements of the loan were made conditional on the promoter submitting to the Bank all environmental impact studies and approvals, also covering any new related 400 kV overhead lines. The EIB-CM also reviewed a decision by the Serbian Ombudsman of 12 November 2014 in which it is recommended that the Serbian authorities reassess the transmission line’s influence on the environment.
Conclusion
The EIB-CM recommends that as a precautionary measure in the particular circumstances of the present complaint, the relevant EIB services obtain from the promoter, as part of the monitoring of the project, the relevant measurements of EMF and monitor the results in the light of the standards referred to in §§ 3.3.5, 3.4 and 3.5 of this Report.
Furthermore, the EIB-CM recommends that the EIB services concerned monitor the outcome of case no. 14901/15 before the European Court of Human Rights and take note of any subsequent result.
The EIB-CM will monitor the implementation of its recommendations within 12 months from the issuance of this Report.