Glass for Europe defends a full value chain approach for rebuilding solar manufacturing in Europe

On 30 September, the European Solar PV Industry Alliance (ESIA) – of which Glass for Europe is a member – organised its third annual forum. The event followed a ministerial meeting where Commissioner Sejourné discussed new measures and commitments for reshoring the PV industry with Member States.

The high-level meeting gathered European PV manufacturing CEOs and public officials from the European Commission and national governments to take stock of regulatory progress made to support the reshoring of the industry. The forum also reaffirmed the EU’s commitment to further expand solar deployment across Europe. Discussions centered on two key themes: the implementation of the Net-Zero Industry Act (NZIA) and the tools to secure investments in solar manufacturing.

Glass for Europe welcomes this renewed political commitment to rebuild a competitive solar manufacturing sector in Europe. Restoring Europe’s industrial leadership in solar technologies requires not only strong ambition but also a comprehensive approach.

From the discussions emerged a clear call for stronger Made-in-EU requirements – a demand taken seriously by both project developers and investors. Glass for Europe supports this objective, while stressing that reshoring efforts must go beyond the simple assembly of imported components. As Secretary General Bertrand Cazes emphasised: “Rebuilding solar manufacturing in Europe should not turn into boosting the sole assembly of components imported from abroad. A complete value chain approach is necessary.” 

This full value chain approach is vital to achieving Europe’s goals of strategic autonomy, industrial resilience, and environmental sustainability. 

Glass plays a critical role in solar PV, directly impacting module weight, performance, versatility, and environmental footprint. This importance was formally recognised in the Net-Zero Industry Act, where solar glass is listed as a specific and primarily used component in solar technologies.

To rebuild a resilient European solar value chain, European solar glass production must be developed on a level playing field with external competitors. This requires EU policymakers to integrate material and value chain considerations into all relevant files, from the review of anti-dumping measures on solar glass originating from China to the design of local content rules and the European origin criteria for upstream materials in the Industrial Accelerator Act. This consistent approach is the one that Glass for Europe also carries in the ongoing review of the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, which must fully account for downstream components.