Reapplying co-opetition in practice – The missing opportunity of cooperation among the smaller obligated parties of the Hungarian Energy Efficiency Obligation Scheme in 2024 = A CO-opetition gyakorlati alkalmazása: Az elmulasztott együttműködési lehetőség a magyar Energiahatékonysági Kötelezettségi Rendszer kisebb kötelezetti szereplői között 2024-ben

Absztrakt (kivonat)

The pursuit of energy efficiency in the European Union has been with us for almost two decades now, driven by the 20/20/20 targets set in 2007 and further clarified in the EU Energy Efficiency 2012/27/EU Directive’ Article 7 in 2012. This directive mandates the Energy Efficiency Obligation Scheme (EEOS), requiring member states to meet energy saving targets through mandating energy distributors and retail sales companies to meet cumulative end-use energy savings. Influenced by previous built-out EEOS systems in Denmark, France, and Italy, 17 member states have implemented EEOS, with Hungary joining in 2021. Hungary’s EEOS requires obligated parties, including electricity and natural gas suppliers and distributors, and associations selling transport fuel to end-use customers, to undertake projects resulting in verified energy savings. While compliance rates have been promising with 112% fulfilment of obligation, which exceeded the originally target, smaller obligated parties, whose initial obligation were under 1000 GJ faced challenges to meet their obligation requirement, and paid levy to fulfil their obligation. Failing to meet their obligation can be due to the lack of specialized expertise and resources needed to implement an energy efficiency project that can be typically found in larger companies. Smaller obligated parties are less able to deliver the lowest cost energy efficiency projects, which puts them at a competitive disadvantage compared to larger obligated parties. The Hungarian legal framework allows obligated parties to fulfil their obligation jointly, for instance through joint specialised energy efficiency projects, which can be a solution to reducing smaller obligated parties’ competitive disadvantage. The research study explores whether the legal framework of EEOS through allowing joint fulfilment of obligation strengthens cooperation among smaller actors. The research question is the following, “Does the legal framework of the Hungarian Energy Efficiency Obligation Scheme, which ensures the joint fulfilment of the energy savings obligation, strengthen cooperation between small, obligated parties?”. Rooted in Brandenburger’s theory of co-opetition, which advocates collaboration among competitors for mutual benefit by resource sharing or joint innovation, the study employs qualitative primary methods, including interviews with regulatory bodies, obligated parties, and experts, alongside comprehensive literature reviews to assess cooperation among competitors in practice. Results show based on the literature and interviews, that cooperation between smaller obligated parties is not relevant in the current EEOS due to lack of trust, knowledge and information, high transaction costs, and oversupply in the market. This study aims to show how cooperation between competitors can be relevant to reduce competitive disadvantage of smaller players.