Duties on solar panels

Brussels is planning an antidumping procedure on solar panels - which represent one of the most technologically advanced application fields for plastics - involving raw materials producers as well as process machinery and equipment manufacturers. This initiative will mainly affect about 100 Chinese solar panels makers, levying a 35 to 67% duty on their products depending on their degree of collaboration with the EU, which in September 2012 launched an anti-dumping investigation against Beijing. The proposal, accepted by the College of EU Commissioners, will be examined by the Antidumping Committee, which will take the final decision on the provisional measures by June 5. The procedure will be officially closed in December 2013 - when the 15 months period provided for the EU investigation will expire - then the EU commissioners will decide whether the duties will be extended for a further period of five years or lifted immediately.
The Chinese photovoltaic industry currently records a turnover of approximately 21 billion a year, corresponding to 80% of the whole European market in this sector. The European countries are among the leading players of the global photovoltaic industry: in 2012, Italy ranked third, with 3.4 GW installed and connected, behind Germany (7.6 GW) and China (5 GW).
Representing a crucial renewable energy source based on a technology which stands out for its low carbon footprint, the photovoltaic industry is growing continuously worldwide. In order to ensure that photovoltaic systems can operate for at least 25 years, it is fundamental to have reliable materials and products such as polymers and silicones, support layers preventing moisture from entering the panels and protecting them against weather agents, adhesives, sealants and top layers guaranteeing their long-term integrity.