EU sunshine hypocrisy

Solar glass panels

The EU has been accused of hypocrisy by MEP Paul Nuttall for imposing import duties on solar panels.

It is feared that the move, which began being implemented this month, could mean the end of the UK's solar industry.

Most solar businesses in this country by their panels from China, the world's largest producer, and the EU is threatening to put an import tax of 47 per cent on these panels coming into the EU. This is on the grounds that they are being sold below cost and damaging competition.

"The EU is being hypocritical. They bang on about us going green but are now slapping whopping tarifs on solar panels to protect their own interests," said Mr Nuttall, UKIP Deputy Leader.

"This move is anti-free trade and will harm the consumer. It may also lead to the loss of thousands of jobs in the solar panel industry in the UK.

"I am pleased that these duties are opposed by Britain but as always we are impotent and they are being phased in. From the beginning of June they were brought in at 11.8 per cent and they will reach an average of 47.6 per cent after two months, if no compromise with China can be found," said Mr Nuttall, Euro-MP for the North West.

The so called “anti-dumping” levy risks sparking a trade war with the Chinese and Bejing has already warned that if Brussels went ahead with provisional taxes, it would “take necessary steps” to defend its national interest.