The Solar Trade Association is disappointed that the European Commission extended over the weekend import tariffs and price controls on solar panels from China, which were due to expire today.
The STA said the move, called an Expiry Review, will mean that the import tariffs could remain in place for several more years and possibly until 2020.
The Commission announced on Saturday morning that it would undertake two Expiry Reviews into anti-dumping and countervailing measures, and an interim review as to whether cells should remain subject to the tariffs.
STA said it is disappointed with the move, which its says will “continue to artificially inflate the price of solar unnecessarily”.
However, it added that the EU can now, as part of its proceedings, officially consider whether the import duties are doing the European solar industry as a whole more harm than good, which STA hopes will help bring the tariffs to an end.
STA chief executive officer Paul Barwell said: “These price controls on imports of Chinese solar panels need to be dropped.
“Europe is currently paying far more than it should for its solar – and that applies both to our homeowners and our governments.”
“In the last two and a half years under these price controls and restrictions, the UK will have deployed nearly 7GW of solar PV equating to £8.5bn of investment.
“Over the life of the tariffs this will add £700m more than it would otherwise need to in terms of the UK’s support for solar – that is simply too much.
“We hope this review by the Commission will check whether these price controls are in the interests of the industry as a whole.”
Image: sxc
