Strasbourg, 22/11/2012 (Agence Europe) - MEPs want a rapid introduction of temporary anti-dumping rights on Chinese solar panels, which the European Commission has been investigating since September.
In an oral question from the European Parliament to the European Commission on measures to protect the European market from imports from China sold at abnormally low or loss leader prices, MEPs from the main political parties were unanimous in their calls on the European executive on Thursday 22 November to take emergency measures to protect the European solar panel industry.
In early September, the European Commission launched an anti-dumping investigation into said solar panels imported from China (see EUROPE 10683), in response to the biggest anti-dumping complaint ever lodged because Chinese solar panel technology exports to the EU reached €21 billion in 2011. The investigation will take 15 months, but after nine months (in June 2013), the Commission could introduce provisional anti-dumping rights for six months if it believes there is enough evidence to demonstrate dumping. If it finds that dumping has occurred, then after the fifteen-month investigation, the Commission could introduce definitive dumping rights for five years.
The anti-dumping investigation on Chinese solar panels has been accompanied since 8 November by an investigation into subsidies (see EUROPE 10726). In nine months' time, the Commission could introduce provisional compensation rights for four months if its believes there is sufficient evidence of the existence of unfair subsidies. After examining the matter in terms of the European interest, the Commission may decide to introduce definitive compensation rights for a period of five years
On Thursday, this response time was described by many MEPs as far too slow. Earlier this year, the solar panel industry in the United States won its case in the United States, when provisional rights of up to 250% were introduced, explained Yannick Jadot (Greens, EFA, France), but the EU has to wait until next July to learn what the Commission has decided - and only on provisional rights! He pointed out that by then, several solar panel companies in Europe that are surviving at present could well be forced to shut up shop. (EH/transl.fl)