The proposed European Union Executive Vice President for Prosperity and Industrial Strategy, Stéphane Séjourné, appeared before the European Parliament. In a three-hour session, the elected commissioner answered questions from Members of the European Parliament regarding the plans and positions he would adopt if confirmed by the Parliament.

The hearing can be viewed here, and the full program of hearings for all elected commissioners can be consulted here. Before the elected commissioners can assume office, the full “College” of commissioners will be subjected to a vote by the European Parliament, and this College could take office as of December 2024.

Walburga Hemetsberger, CEO of SolarPower Europe, stated: “We welcome the designated commissioner’s message that solar manufacturing in Europe is strategically important. This is an important clarification following the Draghi report and confirms that EU leaders agree with us: it is essential not to abandon strengthening the EU’s solar supply chain.”

We agree with the designated commissioner’s comments about the need for a level playing field, but we must avoid a trade war. However, Séjourné has yet to provide any new concrete measures that are urgently needed, such as an EU funding instrument for solar manufacturing.

As the designated commissioner states, important European projects of common interest are a powerful tool, but they need simplified and faster governance: two years is too long to validate an IPCEI.

We reiterate our call for a new IPCEI for flexible electrification, focusing on inverters and software systems that are key for cybersecurity in highly electrified energy systems. Séjourné notes, “Every euro invested in an IPCEI generates 2 euros in private sector funding.”

The unprecedented growth of solar energy was a decisive factor in reducing energy costs during the energy crisis and remains essential for the EU’s energy security and competitiveness. In 2023, we installed over 60 GW of solar energy, which supplied homes, businesses, and European industry with clean, reliable, and affordable energy.

Access to affordable solar products from various sources, including a European solar value chain, is necessary to achieve the EU’s 2030 targets in a resilient and sustainable manner. Solar energy can further drive the EU’s competitiveness, but it needs the EU Clean Industrial Pact and the Industrial Decarbonization Acceleration Act to boost investment in industrial electrification and flexibility. As signatories of the Antwerp Declaration, we are ready to provide clean energy to European industry.”

Point by Point

SolarPower Europe signed the Antwerp Declaration in November 2024. The Antwerp Declaration calls for a European Industrial Pact that complements the European Green Deal and protects quality jobs in Europe. European industries are facing the worst economic recession in a decade at a time when investments are needed to transition Europe to climate neutrality. Urgent measures are needed to restore the business case for investments in Europe. Today, more than 1,200 organizations from 25 sectors are coming together to support this initiative.

SolarPower Europe called for an IPCEI based on inverters in June 2024.

In the six months since the signing of the European Solar Charter, positive steps have been taken in supporting solar manufacturing on the continent. However, support is unevenly distributed across Europe and does not reach the necessary level. Read the report on the current situation here.

Read the reaction to the Report on the Future of EU Competitiveness, written by Mario Draghi, here.

SolarPower Europe calls for a solid industrial strategy with a series of key components: the European Commission must adjust state aid rules to support the operating costs of factories, structured support from the European Investment Bank, specific EU financing, and the rapid implementation of the NZIA. This industrial strategy must be backed by clear market access rules that reflect Europe’s environmental, social, and governance (ESG) values, particularly through the upcoming EU Ecodesign Directive and energy labeling standards for photovoltaic solar energy, which have not yet been concluded, as well as the EU regulations on forced labor (FLB) and the EU Directive on corporate sustainability due diligence (CSDDD).