Statement on EU Tariffs June 2013

[pic]The Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference BSPCPRESS RELEASE“Tariffs on Solar Panels will Delay the Introduction of Green Technologies” says the BSPC Working Group on Green Growth and Energy EfficiencyThe necessary transformation to a sustainable growth and improved energy efficiency requires easily available and affordable technologies and equipment for renewable energy generation, both in households and in enterprises. It is important to promote international cooperation on research and development on green technologies, and to find efficient models for manufacturing, trade and marketing that lowers the cost for the end consumers. The decision by the European Commission to impose punitive tariffs on Chinese-made solar panels (PV) is a step in the wrong direction. It constitutes an unfortunate protectionist measure that will reduce the availability of solar panels in the European market, increase the costs of the conversion to more sustainable energy systems, and delay the introduction of green technologies on a broad scale. The tariffs will therefore hamper the conversion to a greener society. Although the Commission claims that this is an anti-dumping measure, the tariffs will have negative consequences for the EU 2020 goals. This also underlines the importance of China joining the WTO and contributing constructively to the establishment of a level playing field and fair conditions for international trade.The Working Group on Green Growth and Energy Efficiency operates under the auspices of the Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference, a political platform that gathers parliamentarians from altogether 27 parliaments and parliamentary organizations in the Baltic Sea Region. The Working Group will present its final report at the 22nd Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference in Pärnu on 25-27 August 2013. Webpage: http://www.bspc.net/page/show/520Cecilie Tenfjord-Toftby, MP, Chairperson of the Working Group, Swedish RiksdagTony Asumaa, MP, Vice Chairperson of the Working Group, Åland Islands LagtingKarin Gaardsted, MP, Danish FolketingChristina Gestrin, MP, Finnish RiksdagMariusz Orion Jedrysek, MP, Polish SejmSiri Meling, MP, Norwegian StortingOleg Nilov, MP, State Duma of the Russian FederationJochen Schulte, MP, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern LandtagMaxim Shingarkin, MP, State Duma of the Russian FederationTorsten Staffeldt, MP, German BundestagSabine Steppat, MP, Hamburg BürgerschaftIngela Nylund Watz, MP, Swedish RiksdagWille Valve, MP, Åland Islands Lagting, Nordic Council Committee on Business and IndustryRaimonds Vejonis, MP, Latvian SaeimaContact persons:Tryggvi Felixson, WG Secretariat, tfe@norden.org, +4529692937Jan Widberg WG Secretariat, jw@norden.org, +4524699446