Global Trade Alert

On 5 July 2011, Polish authorities decided to grant investment aid to the photovoltaic cell manufacturer Solar Group PL Sp. z o.o. The aid worth EUR 10.01 million (PLN 42 million) was used to implement a new production technology for photovoltaic cells using a laser crystal structuring in a factory in Biala Podlaska, the Lubelskie region.
 
The beneficiary is a wholesaler of electrotechnical goods in drive-in branches in 9 Polish cities. It is part of the Solar Group, a Northern-European sourcing and services company specializing in heating, plumbing and ventilation products.
 
Most of the aid originated from EU's Operational Fund Innovative Economy and amounted to EUR 8.51 million (PLN 35.7 million), whereas the remaining 1.5 million were financed by Poland. The project cost around EUR 19.19 million and was due on 30 June 2013.
 
A state measure in the GTA database is assessed solely in terms of the extent to which its implementation affects the extent of discrimination against foreign commercial interests. The subsidy recipient produces an internationally tradable good. On this metric, the state aid proposed here is discriminatory.