Solar sector says no to trade defence measures

SolarPower Europe, representing the solar PV sector in Europe, is fully committed to the EU’s 2030 objectives on climate and energy security, as well as on supply chain sustainability and open strategic autonomy.

It is of utmost importance that EU leaders adopt regulatory frameworks that advance both of these objectives in parallel and as mutually reinforcing.

We urge the European Commission to look at constructive and urgent actions to provide long-term and sustainable support to the European solar industry:  

• Adjust the EU State Aid framework (the Temporary Crisis and Transition Framework) to allow Member States to support running costs of factories – i.e. opex;  
• Mandate specific resilience auctions a.o. within Member States under a swiftly-adopted EU Net-Zero Industry Act; and  
• Set up an EU-level financing instrument dedicated to supporting EU solar PV manufacturing projects

Alongside this high-level letter, SolarPower Europe has issued an accompanying joint statement, where 429 European solar companies and associations warn that trade measures would injure the EU solar sector to the detriment of the EU’s green energy transition at a critical moment in time.   

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