Last Thursday (30 November), 429 European solar companies joined the call for EU authorities to lift the defensive measures on the occasion of a high-level meeting between the European Solar PV Industry Alliance and Commissioner Thierry Breton.
Subsequently, Walburga Hemetsberger, CEO of SolarPower Europe, also responded on Friday (December 1): "We are alarmed by the rumours of a possible ** defensive investigation into solar, which, if true, would be an affront to the clear message that the European solar industry has repeatedly sent." There are better, faster and more effective solutions to the crisis facing European manufacturers, and Europe must not betray its climate and energy security goals. ”
The joint statement warned that the defensive measures would have a negative impact on European employment, with many homegrown renewable energy jobs at risk of losing their jobs. Our latest analysis suggests that if the defense measures are surveyed next year and implemented in 2025, the number of jobs in 2024 will fall from 890,000 to 6550,000, which will drop to less than 600,000 in 2025.
In a high-level letter sent to European leaders, SolarPower Europe reminded policymakers of the current solar manufacturing situation in Europe. Currently, less than 3% of the 54GW of solar capacity expected in Europe (15GW) can be manufactured entirely in Europe.
In the letter, SolarPower Europe reiterated their call for policymakers to support Europe's solar manufacturing sector, urging EU leaders to:
Consider increasing state guarantees and credit lines for European solar manufacturers, as manufacturers struggle to survive in market conditions following a decline in imported solar modules**;
Consolidating and extending the State Assistance Rules under the Interim Crisis and Transition Framework to cover the operating costs of the facility and reduce the complexity of access and implementation;
Provide EU-level solar manufacturing finance instruments for national financing, such as solar manufacturing banks, linked to innovation** or new EU sovereignty**.
Judging from past experience, Europe's implementation of first-class measures on imports will not actually be effective, but will cause Europe's local photovoltaic industry to suffer a heavy blow.
Anti-dumping and countervailing duties on solar panels imported from China, Taiwan and Malaysia have been levied in Europe in the past, but these measures have proved to be ineffective and have had a significant negative impact on European PV installations, during which European solar jobs, project investment and solar installations have fallen significantly, resulting in increased costs for customers and consumers in the solar industry, while European solar factories have not recovered, so the measure was officially lifted 5 years ago.