The European Union will end its five-year-old restrictions on solar panel imports from China, the EU announced in a statement on Monday.
'After having been in place for almost five years, the EU anti-dumping and anti-subsidy measures on solar panels from China will expire at midnight on Monday Sept. 3,' the European Commission statement read.
The EU first imposed definitive anti-dumping and anti-subsidy measures in December 2013 for a period of two years. These were then renewed in March 2017 for a period of 18 months only, as opposed to the usual five years.
In its March 2017 decision, the Commission aimed to find a balance between the interests of users, importers and EU producers of solar panels.
The Commission also wanted to ensure that EU consumers could buy panels at prices close to the world-market level.
'The level of the measures has gradually decreased over time to allow the prices of the imports into the EU to align progressively with world market prices,' the statement read.
In addition, the Commission observed that the market situation has not changed to the extent that this would justify a further extension of the measures now beyond the scheduled 18 months.
It therefore rejected the EU industry's request for an expiry review investigation.
By Gulsen Cagatay
Anadolu Agency
energy@aa.com.tr.