CARBON signs the European Solar Charter
Following the signing of the French Solar Pact on Friday, April 5, new commitments were made at the European level to protect and encourage the European solar industry. On Monday, April 15, Pierre-Emmanuel Martin, president and co-founder of CARBON, signed the European Solar Charter in Brussels, alongside a hundred sector professionals and 23 EU Energy Ministers.
The need for a European solar value chain
The European Union aims to increase the share of renewable energies in its energy mix to 42.5% by 2030. In 2023, for the first time, renewable energies surpassed 40% of the EU’s energy mix, with 27% coming from solar and wind power. However, 97% of the 56 GW of photovoltaic panels installed this year in Europe were of Chinese origin.
In this context, the Solar Charter signed on April 15 seeks to reduce this dependency by enhancing the competitiveness of the European solar industry and encouraging the production of high-quality, durable, and resilient products on European soil.
Commitment of the signatory states for rapid implementation of NZIA
Specifically, through the Charter, the signatory states commit to rapidly implementing the measures of the “zero-net” industry regulation (NZIA). This agreement sets the goal of producing 40% of the EU’s annual needs for green technologies, such as photovoltaic panels, on European soil by 2030. To achieve this, the text includes various measures, notably the establishment of sustainability and resilience criteria in the awarding of public contracts and tenders to promote the purchase of green technologies made in Europe.
Subsidies and European financing
The European Commission, for its part, commits to facilitating access to financing for photovoltaic projects through various programs such as the FRR, innovation and modernization funds, Horizon Europe, and the STEP platform. A strengthened partnership with the European Investment Bank is also planned to support investments in the sector.
A new advance for a competitive and sustainable European photovoltaic industry
CARBON welcomes this new advancement in favor of a sovereign and competitive European photovoltaic industry. Following the signing of the Solar Pact in France on April 5, 2024, a dynamic is underway to sustainably relocate the photovoltaic solar value chain in Europe!