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Not solely does the bloc want Chinese language imports, however any commerce measures towards China’s photo voltaic business may immediate retaliation.
Europe has a “essential dilemma on the subject of inexperienced industrial coverage,” mentioned Simone Tagliapietra, a local weather coverage specialist on the Bruegel suppose tank. “The right way to strike the appropriate stability between financial effectivity and geopolitical resilience, with out slowing down the inexperienced transition.”
ESMC, representing EU producers, referred to as on the Fee final week to use “provisional safeguarding measures” resembling a partial import ban on Chinese language photo voltaic panels “as a final resort.”
However SolarPower Europe CEO Walburga Hemetsberger advised POLITICO such strikes “would actually be detrimental for the photo voltaic sector,” and will sluggish deployment by as much as 50 %.
That break up can also be obvious amongst international locations. At a December assembly of EU ministers on photo voltaic manufacturing, 5 out of seven international locations appeared immune to any commerce protection measures — however that opinion wasn’t common, based on an individual who took half within the assembly, and was granted anonymity to talk candidly.
“[The] scenario is worrying … there’s an apparent commerce imbalance and dependence on China right here,” mentioned a diplomat from an EU nation, who was additionally granted anonymity to talk freely. However “tariffs towards China are most likely a nasty concept.”
“We have to begin making strategic decisions,” the diplomat mentioned. “Perhaps photo voltaic is just not the battle we should always struggle.”
Koen Verhelst and Julia Wacket contributed reporting. Graphics by Giovanna Coi.
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