The European Union has joined the fight against climate change, among other initiatives, by committing to a green transition. In the energy sector, this includes a commitment to the transition to renewable energy sources. However, with increasing pressure for a "green" transition, other market conflicts may arise that go unnoticed by politicians and consumers but significantly impact the market. In the strong push to accelerate the shift to renewable energy, there is a risk of market distortion. In an ideal scenario, the market would see high competition with a wide and continually improving range of options, but this is often not the case in practice. Companies may abuse a dominant position or form cartels under the guise of green and sustainable practices, leading to price increases, market division, and harm to consumers. State aid encourages companies to adopt "green" practices but may also result in favoritism towards certain companies, leading to market distortion. On the other hand, there are several exceptions in competition law, without which the development of a "green" economy would be more challenging to achieve. The European Union must ensure that, while promoting competition law, it continues to support the green transition without compromising its effectiveness, as this could lead to the opposite effect, i.e., a setback in the development of the renewable energy market. Abuse of dominant positions, cartels, mergers, and state aid can, therefore, have both positive and negative effects on the development of the renewable energy market. This is where the European Commission and the EU Court of Justice come into play, overseeing and assessing which influence prevails in each specific case.
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