Posted: 16 June, 2016. Written by Mark
The Renewable Energy Association (REA) has been working with SolarPower Europe on the ongoing issue of Minimum Import Pricing (MIP) and is now looking for industry to add their name to a letter to the European Commission calling for the end of MIP.
The REA has already added its name to a letter from European trade associations and is looking for companies to do the same in a separate letter.
Please see the message below from SolarPower Europe for information on how to get involved:
The European Commission is in the process of deciding whether or not to extend anti-dumping and anti-subsidy duties on Chinese solar, and therefore the Minimum Import Price (MIP), for up to five years.
The Commission wants more evidence that the vast majority of the EU solar industry wants the measures to end. If you want to help please add your company to this public letter coordinated by SolarPower Europe.
Dear Commissioner Malmström,
The signatories to this letter, representing XXX companies and XXXX jobs from XX member states, believe that the minimum import price (MIP), anti-dumping and anti-subsidy measures on cells and modules from China should be removed immediately. The measures are having the unforeseen consequence of negatively impacting the entire European solar value chain to the detriment of jobs, investment and solar deployment in Europe. A policy that was designed to help the few has failed to do so, only serving to harm the very many right across the EU.
Despite the global boom in solar power, Europe today holds a worryingly small and shrinking percentage of the annual market. At a time when the European solar market has declined, the sector is in need of measures that will boost demand and not these trade measures which increase cost to our customers, consumers and energy bill payers.
The measures have had unforeseen consequences on our companies, leading to job losses and reduced opportunity in the solar market due to increased costs. With module prices at an artificially high level, all our companies suffer from the dual impact of higher prices and the impact these prices have on demand. The European Commission and Member States need to end the measures now to accelerate the date by which this industry can grow sustainably without the need for support mechanisms.
The trade measures add to the cost of solar and are contributing to slowing down its deployment. The measures add 100,000s Euros of cost to installations in the region of 10MW and above and around 1000 Euros to household installations. With tenders for large scale solar being driven by price, the trade measures are ensuring that the potential of solar is not being fulfilled in Europe, contrary to the EU's wider renewable energy targets and goals.
To return sustainable growth to our sector, to see jobs come back to our companies and to see the value of solar grow in Europe again, the trade measures must go.
We call on you to make a responsible decision and act in the interest of the European Union and end the trade measures on solar modules and cells immediately.
Yours sincerely, signed etc.