Draft:European Solar Manufacturing Council

The European Solar Manufacturing Council (ESMC) is an industry association dedicated to creating a favorable political environment for photovoltaics (PV) manufacturing within Europe. ESMC represents the voice of its members, who engage in various PV technologies along the entire upstream value chain of PV manufacturing in Europe.

Foundation and Membership
ESMC was officially founded in 2021 by 7 companies active in the European PV manufacturing industry (The Austrian Institute of Technology (AIT), Becquerel Institute, Centro Nacional de Energías Renovables (CENER), NorSun, EDF Photowatt, Singulus Technologies, and Total Energies). Initially conceived to address the growing need for a united voice exclusively advocating for the interests of the European PV manufacturing industry, ESMC has since expanded to include over 75 members. active in the upstream industry in Europe.

The Association is open to legal entities or to their divisions or branches in the PV industry, of which at least one place of business and the parent company are located in a European country. The nature of their business shall be included in the following categories:
 * Producers of photovoltaic components in the strictest sense (Wafer (electronics), Solar cells, Solar panels)
 * Producers of hybrid components provided that a material with a photovoltaic effect is integrated into them as a main part of the product (products integrated into the frame, into vehicles, etc.)
 * Producers of materials or products used in the manufacture of photovoltaic components
 * Research centers
 * Quality control and testing organisations
 * Specialised consultants
 * Public or private institutions

Main Activities and Influence
ESMC's primary activities center around lobbying in Brussels and providing crucial insights to the European Commission, offering information on the current industry landscape, dependencies, mechanisms, and competition within the European solar manufacturing sector.

CO2-Footprints and Ecological Sustainability

 * ESMC advocates for mandatory environmental policies, emphasizing a robust European Ecodesign Directive scheme, favouring the use of the Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT) methohdology for greenhouse gas LCA calculation based on academic evidence of its robustness
 * Actively follows the development of environmental requirements, engaging in collaborative efforts with partner organizations.

Minimum Criteria for Social Sustainability

 * Prioritizes fair labor conditions throughout the entire PV value chain globally, specifically through the implementation of a EU ban on products made with forced labour
 * Champions equitable and safe working conditions to uphold human rights and foster industry growth and make efforts in a dedicated Working Group to inform the industry on social issues in collaboration with human rights organisations.

Holistic European Manufacturing Approach

 * ESMC aims to reduce financial risks associated with large-scale manufacturing investments in Europe.
 * Leads a framework to create a gigawatt-scale initiative under the Important Project of Common Interest (IPCEI) for PV.
 * Works to retain strategically important intellectual property (IP) in Europe, particularly when developed with European taxpayers' funds.
 * Advocates for robust backing of the manufacturing of net-zero technologies under the Net Zero Industry Act and other initiatives to enhance market access and representation in public procurements and auctions, aiming to equalize the competitive landscape for European manufacturers compared to their non-European counterparts.
 * Proposes a comprehensive support strategy encompassing both OPEX and CAPEX support in Europe, mirroring support measures implemented in China and the United States, such as the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).

Market Pull Policies

 * Supports policies that encourage the adoption of innovative EU-developed technology in European countries.

Network Building

 * Emphasizes the creation of tighter networks between Europe's PV industry and research and development (R&D) centers.

Co-Chairs

 * Dr. Carsten Rohr, CCO at NorSun
 * Gaëtan Masson, CEO & Founder of Becquerel Institute
 * Dr. Stefan Rinck, CEO at Singulus Technologies

Vice-Chairs

 * Prof. Dr. Eicke Weber, Advisor at MCPV
 * Vincent Bès, CEO at Photowatt
 * Dr. Davor Sutija, CEO at Nexwafe

Board Members

 * Dr. Lucas Weiss, CEO at VOLTEC Solar
 * Dr. Peter Fath, CEO at RCT Solutions
 * Prof. Dr. Andreas Bett, Director of Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems
 * Dr. Chris Case, CTO at Oxford Photovoltaics
 * Dr. Radovan Kopecek, Co-founder and Head of Department Strategy and Education at ISC Konstanz
 * Torgeir Ulset, Commercial Director at Renewable Energy Corporation (REC) Norway
 * Pierre-Jean Ribeyron, Head of Technology CEA liten
 * Richard Moreth, Senior advisor at Vitronic

Secretariat

 * Dr. Johan Lindahl , Secretary General
 * Žygimantas Vaičiūnas, Policy Director
 * Jens Holm, Sustainability Policy Director
 * Amelia Oller Westerberg, Market Analysis and Communications