NIS: We do not expect a state of emergency, we are preventively complying with the legal regulations from 2014

One of the news items that marked Friday afternoon was that employees of the Oil Industry of Serbia (Naftna industrija Srbije - NIS), at the end of working hours, received a notification via the internal network that the company was obliged to provide “preconditions for the implementation of work obligations if a state of emergency or war is declared.”

According to the notification provided to Beta by the employees of this company, on condition of anonymity, NIS informed its employees that, in accordance with legal regulations and the Decision of the Government of the Republic of Serbia, this company is “recognized as a large technical system of importance for the defense of the country in the field of energy.”

– This measure is part of preventive activities and does not mean that an emergency or war situation is expected, but serves solely for the purpose of compliance with legal regulations – the letter states.

Following the results of the regular audit of the company’s compliance with its legal obligations, as part of the necessary activities, the company’s obligation to issue and deliver Deployment Announcements to employees who are subject to work obligations by law has been defined, the management notice further states.

– Employees will receive the announcements through the Front Office and after signing the announcement, employees are required to submit them to the Front Office no later than November 15, 2025. By signing the announcement, employees confirm that they have been informed that in the event of a state of emergency or war, they will continue to perform their regular work duties within the company – this notice to employees specifies.

– In accordance with the company’s obligations defined by legal regulations, only in the event of a state of war or emergency, the company will additionally deliver decisions to employees, which define the work obligations of employees during the state of war or emergency – it is added.

After the news was published, NIS also issued a statement stating that “the notification sent to NIS employees is in no way related to expectations of the introduction of a state of war or emergency, but rather is an obligation of the company arising from the relevant legal regulations and the Decision of the Government of the Republic of Serbia on the designation of large technical systems of importance for defense from 2014.”

NIS’s response to the Beta agency indicated that “this measure is part of preventive activities and does not mean that an emergency or war situation is expected, but serves exclusively for the purpose of compliance with legal regulations.”

– The activity is exclusively related to fulfilling the legal obligation, which applies to all employers and legal entities that are designated as entities of particular importance for the defense of the country – NIS wrote in its response.

– The notification was sent as an announcement of activities that will be implemented in the coming period, ending on November 15, 2025, based on the deadline defined by the Defense Inspectorate of the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Serbia, which during this year carried out a regular and announced field inspection of the defense preparations of NIS a.d. Novi Sad and listed it as one of the necessary measures – NIS explained.

– Inspection supervision by the Defense Inspectorate is carried out in all entities of importance for the defense of the country and is carried out once every seven years. The company acts in accordance with the Defense Law (2007), the Law on Military, Labor, and Material Obligation (2010) and in accordance with the Regulation on the Method and Procedure for Performing Military, Labor, and Material Obligation (2011), which regulate the aforementioned matter. The legal obligation to notify and deliver the Decision to employees on work obligation during a state of war or emergency has existed since 2010, when the Law on Military, Labor and Material Obligation was adopted – NIS responded.

The company, as stated, did not specify why it decided on this adjustment in the midst of a dramatic escalation of violence in Serbian cities, nor was the question of whether the management of NIS a.d. fears the introduction of a state of emergency in Serbia in the coming months answered.

NIS a.d. Novi Sad

Naftna industrija Srbije ad Novi Sad

NIS

declaration of state of emergency