Protective measures will dent EU's green goals

With the European solar power industry increasingly finding itself in difficulties, it is no surprise that some in Europe are seeking to adopt protective measures to deal with what they view as "unfair Chinese competition", including anti-dumping probes and emergency curbs on access to the European Union market for Chinese imports.

Europe's local solar panel manufacturers are said to have hit crisis point mainly due to cheaper imports and oversupply, with the sector warning half of its capacity could shut down within weeks unless emergency actions are taken.

China, which is playing an irreplaceable role in the global renewable energy sector, accounts for more than 90 percent of Europe's solar panel supply. The country is also the EU's leading source of wind turbine imports.