Article 1
An investigation is hereby initiated pursuant to Article 23(4) of Regulation (EC) No 597/2009, in order to determine if imports into the Union of crystalline silicon photovoltaic modules or panels and cells of the type used in crystalline silicon photovoltaic modules or panels (the cells have a thickness not exceeding 400 micrometres), currently falling within CN codes ex 8501 31 00 , ex 8501 32 00 , ex 8501 33 00 , ex 8501 34 00 , ex 8501 61 20 , ex 8501 61 80 , ex 8501 62 00 , ex 8501 63 00 , ex 8501 64 00 and ex 8541 40 90 (TARIC codes 8501 31 00 82, 8501 31 00 83, 8501 32 00 42, 8501 32 00 43, 8501 33 00 62, 8501 33 00 63, 8501 34 00 42, 8501 34 00 43, 8501 61 20 42, 8501 61 20 43, 8501 61 80 42, 8501 61 80 43, 8501 62 00 62, 8501 62 00 63, 8501 63 00 42, 8501 63 00 43, 8501 64 00 42, 8501 64 00 43, 8541 40 90 22, 8541 40 90 23, 8541 40 90 32, 8541 40 90 33) consigned from Malaysia and Taiwan, whether declared as originating in Malaysia and Taiwan or not, are circumventing the measures imposed by Implementing Regulation (EU) No 1239/2013. The investigation does not concern imports into the Union of: — solar chargers that consist of less than six cells, are portable and supply electricity to devices or charge batteries, — thin film photovoltaic products, — crystalline silicon photovoltaic products that are permanently integrated into electrical goods, where the function of the electrical goods is other than power generation, and where these electrical goods consume the electricity generated by the integrated crystalline silicon photovoltaic cell(s), — modules or panels with a output voltage not exceeding 50 V DC and a power output not exceeding 50 W solely for direct use as battery chargers in systems with the same voltage and power characteristics.