The probe into specialist glass used in solar equipment follows a complaint in January by a group of Europe-based producers under the banner of EU ProSun Glass.
It claimed that EU demand for solar glass increased less than 5% between 2010 and 2012, but unfairly-priced deliveries of solar glass from China more than tripled during the same period.
The European Commission says the inquiry could last up to 15 months. It says it has no direct connection with a separate probe into PV equipment imports from China, which was launched last year.
It says the EU solar glass market “is valued at less than €200m ($262m)".
The EC said it had not so far received a second complaint about unfair subsidies attaching to solar glass from China – a separate grievance to dumping.
The EC will release preliminary finding within nine months, at which stage it could impose provisional duties on solar glass products.
China is currently considering the outcome of its own investigation into imports of polysilicon from the EU and US.
