called on the European Commission

Commissioner Cecilia Malmström
European Commissioner for Trade
European Commission
Rue de la Loi 200
B-1049 Brussels
Brussels, October 2nd 2015
Subject: Call on the European Commission to remove trade barriers impacting imports of solar cells and
modules from China
Dear Commissioner,
We would like to express our appreciation for the European Commission’s commitment to ensuring that
renewable energy sources make a robust contribution to shaping the future of Europe’s electricity
market and also for Commission President Juncker’s call for Europe to be the number one in renewable
energy. However, our trade policy must be coherent with these ambitious goals.
With this acknowledgement, we remain most concerned about the impact that trade policy is having on
the development of the solar power sector in Europe, both in terms of its contribution to power
generation and employment in the sector. In December 2013, the EU imposed anti-dumping and
countervailing duties on crystalline silicon modules and cells originating in or consigned from China.
These duties are applicable until 7 December 2015. In parallel, the EU accepted the price undertaking
agreement articulated around Minimum Import Prices (MIPs) and annual quota levels.
The current situation has seen the levels of solar installations drop dramatically in Europe, from 17 GW
in 2012 to under 7 GW in 2014. This has impacted jobs in the solar sector, falling from 265,000 in 2011
to around 120,000 in Europe today. We believe that European duties on Chinese solar products, and the
price undertaking, contributed to this slowdown in annual growth of installations in Europe.
For the European solar sector to return to growth and to see jobs return to the sector we call on the
European Commission to end the duties and MIP on solar panels and cells coming from China as planned
in December 2015. This will boost the whole solar value chain in Europe, including manufacturing of
equipment, components, materials, inverters and many other segments of the value chain.
With more competitive and high quality solar panels available to Europe, the level of installations and
the associated jobs will rise again. Removing the MIP when it is due to expire at the end of 2015 will
support the European solar sector to deliver on its potential as a primary pillar of Europe’s carbonneutral electricity supply.
A return to market prices will also help consumers to buy quality products, at the best possible prices.
This reflects the need to put the interests of energy consumers at the heart of Europe’s Energy Union
policy.
We therefore urge you and your services to act quickly on this matter and end the MIP and antidumping duties on modules and cells imported from China as planned in December 2015.
We look forward to hearing the European Commission’s view on this issue and remain available to
discuss the matter with you in person at your earliest convenience.
Yours sincerely,
Mr Christofer Fjellner
Mr Bas Eickhout
Mr Sean Kelly
Mr Reinhard Bütikofer
Mr Fredrick Federley
Mr Jo Leinen
Mr Seb Dance
Ms Vicky Ford
Ms Emma McClarkin
Mr Rolandas Paksas
Ms Godelieve Quisthoudt-Rowohl
Mr Morten Helveg Petersen
Ms Sirpa Pietikäinen
Mr Tibor Szanyi
Copy to:
Mr. Frans Timmermans, Vice-President of the Commission, Better Regulation
Mr. Maroš Šefčovič, Vice-President of the Commission, Energy Union
Mr. Miguel Arias Cañete, Commissioner for Energy and Climate Action
Ms. Elżbieta Bieńkowska, Commissioner for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs