European Union: Solar Leaders Press Brussels for Stronger Manufacturing Support

Two leading trade bodies — the European Solar Manufacturing Council (ESMC) and SolarPower Europe (SPE) — have urged EU policymakers to step up backing for domestic solar manufacturing beyond the Net-Zero Industry Act (NZIA).

In a joint letter to the European Commission and Competitiveness Council ministers ahead of the 30 September 2025 solar PV ministerial, the groups warn the sector is at a “crossroads”: SPE forecasts 2025 will be the first year in over a decade that EU solar additions decline, while factories face an “existential threat.” “Without immediate, coordinated action, Europe risks losing its remaining manufacturing base,” said Walburga Hemetsberger, SPE’s CEO.

The NZIA targets producing at least 40% of the EU’s annual net-zero tech needs — including 30 GW of PV manufacturing capacity — but the letter says this “cannot be achieved” without extra, urgent political support aligned with the 2024 EU Solar Charter. Christoph Podewils, ESMC secretary general, stressed the European Solar PV Industry Alliance (ESIA) goal of 30 GW by 2025 has not materialised.

Recent setbacks underscore the risk: REC Group shut its polysilicon plant in Norway; NorSun ceased Norwegian ingot/wafer output to focus on the US; and Meyer Burger closed its German module line in 2024 before filing for insolvency earlier this year.

The letter proposes five actions:

1. EU solar action plan and roadmap to rebuild the full value chain.

2. Public procurement reform beyond NZIA Article 25, rewarding resilience, cybersecurity, and EU-made content.

3. A new cleantech manufacturing fund in the next Multiannual Financial Framework, with a dedicated solar window covering capex and opex.

4. Expanded temporary opex support, bridging the gap between today’s ultra-low module prices and EU producers’ costs.

5. A larger role for the European Investment Bank, including zero-interest loans or counter-guarantees to anchor investor confidence.

   
   

“Implementing the NZIA is important, but insufficient on its own,” the letter concludes. “With manufacturers in peril, there is no time to lose.”