The European Solar Manufacturing Council (ESMC) has welcomed the push for domestic content regulation outlined in the leaked EU Clean Industrial Deal document. With this momentum, the Net Zero Industry Act should follow suit. Christoph Podewils, Secretary General of the ESMC, stated that the EU must establish clear “Made in Europe” criteria.
Podewils has read the leaked draft of the Clean Industrial Deal, which is expected to be published by the European Commission next week. Podewils welcomes the proposal to introduce both “minimum local content requirements” and “resilience and sustainability criteria” for public tenders involving net-zero technologies such as solar.
However, while the draft Clean Industrial Deal proposes to set local content criteria as standard for public tenders, another key piece of EU legislation, the Net-Zero Industry Act (NZIA), avoids the concept. Podewils argues for greater coherence between EU policies and urges that the same local content provisions be included in the NZIA, which focuses on strengthening public demand for European clean technologies.
The ESMC strongly welcomed the EU’s proposal for local content criteria in public procurement and renewable energy auction schemes, urging that EU legislation be streamlined to reflect these goals. Christoph Podewils, Secretary General of the ESMC, emphasized that a “Made in Europe” clause should be included in the NZIA’s draft proposals.
Podewils highlighted the pressure European solar manufacturers face due to unfair Chinese competition, stressing that European Member States should prioritize high-quality European clean technology products, such as solar, when using public funds, rather than investing in Chinese products.
The ESMC will submit its feedback to the four public consultations on various secondary legislation under Regulation 2024/1735 of the Net-Zero Industry Act (NZIA). Meanwhile, on Wednesday 26 February, the European Commission will present the Clean Industrial Deal.
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 supports the EU's proposal for local content regulation in the Clean Industrial Deal, urging its inclusion in the Net Zero Industry Act. ESMC stresses the importance of prioritizing high-quality European clean technology products, such as solar, over Chinese products, while submitting feedback to ongoing consultations under the NZIA's secondary legislation.){kind=link}