Solar energy storage foreign trade

Over the last years, the EU has taken initiatives to strengthen its support to the European solar PV manufacturing sector, which includes several globally competitive companies in several steps of the value chain.

In the case of solar PV products offtakers, incorporate resilience, sustainability, responsible business conduct, 'ability to deliver”, innovation and cybersecurity considerations in their strategies, including through cooperation with manufacturers. The European Commission INTENDS to:

One year following the signature of the Charter, the Commission will review the implementation of the adopted commitments. The European Solar Charter, signed on 15 April 2024, sets out a series of voluntary actions to be undertaken to support the EU photovoltaic sector.

To this end, the European Solar Charter sets out immediate actions to be taken by the Commission, EU Member States and the representatives of the solar PV value chain, in particular wholesale, distribution and manufacturing parts, to be implemented ensuring full compliance with EU competition law and state aid rules.

The European Solar PV Industry Alliance (ESIA), launched in December 2022 to reinforce the cooperation within industry, set itself the target of 30 GW of production capacity along the value chain, an objective considered achievable by 2030. The ESIA pipeline includes more than 20 projects, including several at multi-GW scale.

In 2023, the solar photovoltaic sector in the EU and globally saw the prices of the panels plummet from circa 0.20 €/W to less than 0.12 €/W. This unsustainable situation is weakening the viability of existing European production and jeopardises planned investments for new manufacturing plants announced over the last 2 years.