Le Maire’s urgings might run afoul of EU guidelines. In precept, the EU bans measures that favor one nation’s firms over one other for public contracts.
The transfer additionally comes shortly after the EU finalized the Web-Zero Business Act (NZIA), which not directly encourages EU international locations to purchase European photo voltaic panels, one thing France desired.
France needs to supply 40 p.c of the photo voltaic panels it makes use of domestically, Le Maire mentioned, presenting it as an NZIA purpose. Nonetheless, the EU regulation set manufacturing targets for all the bloc, not particular person international locations.
France can be offering state help to a number of photo voltaic initiatives within the nation, together with tax credit value as much as €200 million for 2 photo voltaic panel factories. And it is easing guidelines to put in photo voltaic panels on farmland.
In parallel, the European Fee earlier this week launched a probe into Chinese language-owned solar energy in Romania over alleged unlawful subsidies.