Replacement scheme for MIP proposed by European Commission

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email
A document released by the Trade directorate on Wednesday night proposed a schedule of prices for the next 14 months. Credit: Yingli.

The European Commission has proposed an alternative floor price setting mechanism to replace the minimum import price’s (MIP) current linkage to Bloomberg prices.

The price level has been criticised for being too far above global market prices for solar. The Bloomberg prices are calculated in US dollars making the MIP level susceptible to currency fluctuations.

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Try Premium for just $1

  • Full premium access for the first month at only $1
  • Converts to an annual rate after 30 days unless cancelled
  • Cancel anytime during the trial period

Premium Benefits

  • Expert industry analysis and interviews
  • Digital access to PV Tech Power journal
  • Exclusive event discounts

Or get the full Premium subscription right away

Or continue reading this article for free

A document released by the Trade directorate on Wednesday night proposed a schedule of prices for the next 14 months in an effort to offer some transparency.

“This proposal from DG Trade looks to divorce the price of solar panels from reality,” said Dr Christian Westermeier, president, SolarPower Europe. 

“The European Commission clearly states that market prices recorded in Q1 2017 will only be reached in the EU in September 2018. This implies a full time lag of 1.5 years for European companies to benefit from the true market price of solar. What is even worse, is that the MIP level proposed for July 2018 is still well above today's world market prices in US$/Watt. This is not the way to bring the energy transition in a cost-effective manner to the citizens of Europe.”

EU ProSun, the organisation that brought the original complaint about Chinese solar trade practices in 2012, has its own concerns about the new proposals.

“There's a simple but clear legal requirement for minimum import regulations; the prices have to be non-injurious to Union manufacturers,” EU ProSun president Milan Nitzschke told PV Tech. “Therefore I don't believe that price levels as now disclosed by the Commission will last.

“The new system allows better enforcement, it's better to control and more predictable and the differentiation for multi and mono products is more accurate. [However] the prices proposed of course reach injurious levels, which EU manufacturers will challenge during further proceedings,” he added.

Nitzschke also questioned the validity of some market pricing data drawing attention to an investigation in Taiwan. The Taiwanese Fair Trade Commission is investigating two price indexes after its PV association complained that prices were below the cost of production and could lead to market distortions and misconceptions. 

2 December 2025
Málaga, Spain
Understanding PV module supply to the European market in 2026. PV ModuleTech Europe 2025 is a two-day conference that tackles these challenges directly, with an agenda that addresses all aspects of module supplier selection; product availability, technology offerings, traceability of supply-chain, factory auditing, module testing and reliability, and company bankability.
10 March 2026
Frankfurt, Germany
The conference will gather the key stakeholders from PV manufacturing, equipment/materials, policy-making and strategy, capital equipment investment and all interested downstream channels and third-party entities. The goal is simple: to map out PV manufacturing out to 2030 and beyond.

Read Next

October 6, 2025
Genesis Energy and FRV Australia have mutually agreed to terminate their solar development joint venture while maintaining co-ownership of the 63MWp Lauriston solar PV power plant in Canterbury, New Zealand.
Premium
October 6, 2025
Talon PV aims to be the first US company to safely manufacture TOPCon cells at scale, backed by European technology and a crucial First Solar licensing deal.
October 6, 2025
Indian infrastructure company focused on rooftop and ground-based solar power installations, PVV Infra has secured solar power orders worth INR7.9 billion (US$90 million) through two of its subsidiaries. 
October 6, 2025
US utility AES Corporation is reportedly in discussions to be acquired by Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), a subsidiary of global asset owning giant BlackRock.
October 6, 2025
Indian solar developer ACME Group has established a new subsidiary to manage its renewable equipment manufacturing business, under which it is planning to scale production of TOPCon PV modules.
October 6, 2025
Rajasthan government will develop 500MW/2,000MWh of standalone battery energy storage systems (BESS) with a four-hour single-cycle configuration and extended operational life.

Subscribe to Newsletter

Upcoming Events

Solar Media Events
October 7, 2025
Manila, Philippines
Solar Media Events
October 7, 2025
San Francisco Bay Area, USA
Solar Media Events
October 21, 2025
New York, USA
Solar Media Events
November 25, 2025
Warsaw, Poland