Chinese tax on imports of solar silicon from the EU

3.3.2015

Question for written answer P-003398-15
to the Commission
Rule 130
Lara Comi (PPE)

In May 2014 the Chinese Government adopted legislation imposing a tax on imports of solar silicon produced in the EU. Pufin Power, which is one of the Europe's leading photovoltaics groups and has taken over the US multinational SunEdison's polycristalline silicon division in Merano, which is therefore now 100% European-owned, employs close to 1000 people in Europe, at Solland Silicon (Merano, Italy), Solland Solar Cells (Heerlen, Netherlands), EL.ITAL (Avellino, Italy) and Elifrance (Saint-Etienne, France). The group has also concluded a major agreement with a leading Chinese photovoltaics producer.

With a view to saving jobs, does the Commission intend to take steps to have the import tax chargeable on products from Pufin Power's polycristalline silicon plant in Merano discontinued?

Given that the plant has changed hands and is now European-owned and that the Chinese Government has not always levied this type of tax in other circumstances and on products from other European companies such as WackerChemie, which, like Solland Silicon in Merano, produces polycristalline silicon, does the Commission intend to take immediate action in this matter?