Authority to investigate lack of competition in electric car charging market

The Estonian Competition Authority has launched a market analysis of the country's electric car charging network. The authority observed that the Estonian market, which is now considered mature, appears to be less competitive than those in other European countries.
On Monday, the Competition Authority announced that it is set to launch a market analysis of the charging network for electric cars. The aim is to gain an overview in order to assess the state of market competition for public electric car chargers in Estonia.
Enn Robert Kinnas, an analyst in the Competition Authority's surveillance department, told ERR that an analysis had been launched at the authority's behest as it had noticed that the Estonian transport sector appeared to be paying little attention to the infrastructure for public electric vehicle charging stations. It also found the Estonian market, which has now reached a level of maturity, was not very competitive when compared to other European countries.
"The aim of the analysis is to identify whether there may be competition issues in the market that could affect consumer choice and prices. The need for analysis does not relate directly to any particular market player, but covers all operators active in the market," Kinnas said.
If issues do emerge on the market in relation to competition, the Competition Authority is also able to propose mitigating measures if it deems them necessary, he added.
The inquiry will be divided into separate phases, starting with the identification of issues and the formulation of survey questions. The next stage involve meetings with the relevant authorities, followed by questionnaires for market participants.
The Competition Authority will additionally conduct interviews with market players and authorities. The study will also take into account developments in other EU countries and compare them with the situation in Estonia.
The Competition Authority expects to publish the final report of its analysis by the end of next year.
The authority is responsible for monitoring the level of competition in Estonia for electricity, natural gas, district heating, postal services, public water supply and sewerage, railways, aviation and ports.
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Editor: Michael Cole