European manufacturers urge CBAM to include solar products to ensure fair competition

The European Solar Energy Production Council (ESMC) has called on the European Commission to expand the Carbon Boundary Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) to cover solar photovoltaic modules, mounting structures and solar trackers. According to the ESMC, the exclusion of off-the-shelf solar products creates loopholes that weaken the EU's competitiveness and the integrity of carbon pricing.

Current gap in CBAM coverage

Although CBAM is already applied to carbon-intensive materials such as steel, aluminum, and glass, it does not apply to finished solar products that rely heavily on these inputs. A typical 22 kg solar module contains 14 kg of glass and three kg of aluminum, which are subject to CBAM when imported separately. However, foreign manufacturers, especially from China, can export finished products to the EU without facing the same carbon costs.

This imbalance means that EU producers have to buy CBAM certificates for raw materials, while foreign producers circumvent carbon pricing, undermining EU climate targets and industry competitiveness.

Prevention and feasibility

ESMC emphasized that extending CBAM to solar products would act as an anti-circumvention measure, preventing untaxed carbon embedded in imports from entering the EU. Most solar panel manufacturers already disclose emissions data through Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) or the French Certisolis program, making compliance both practical and verifiable.

Strategic alignment with EU policy