On 15 September 2026 the European Parliament adopted its CBAM extension negotiating position by 464 votes to 50 with 159 abstentions, expanding the proposed product list to 457 items including PV modules, solar trackers, mounting systems and aluminium or steel frames.
This is the first time a European legislative text has named tracker and racking products so explicitly. It is also not an enacted measure: the final list depends on trilogue negotiations, with application expected around 2028.
The column is written to make that gap impossible to miss.
Month at a glance
Legislative evolution
The list grew from about 180 products in the Commission's December 2025 proposal to roughly 200 and then 457. We publish the stages with dates and the responsible institution.
Transmission into tracker costs
A cost illustration
An embedded-carbon calculation uses the Q1 2026 certificate price of 75.36 EUR per tCO2e, printed with its quarter and official source. Default values and actual values are shown as two paths.
Regional impact and status box
A six-region matrix is accompanied by an explicit statement that a Parliament position is not applicable law.
Data box
| Field | Value as reported |
|---|---|
| Vote | 464 for, 50 against, 159 abstentions, 15 September 2026 |
| Proposed list | 457 products |
| Named products | PV modules, solar trackers, mounting systems, aluminium/steel frames |
| Earlier proposal | About 180 products, December 2025 |
| Expected application | Around 2028 |
| Certificate price used | 75.36 EUR per tCO2e, Q1 2026 only |
All figures above are quoted with the unit and reference period used by the primary source. They are reproduced here for reference, not independently re-measured.
Next month's watchlist: verification note
This is a Parliament negotiating position. The final list is subject to trilogue agreement and expected application around 2028. It must not be written as 'the EU has imposed a carbon tariff on trackers'.
What to watch next
Trilogue outcome, the final product list and the delegated acts on default values.
Primary sources
- European Parliament plenary vote record, 2026-09-15
- European Commission proposal, December 2025 (180 products)
- Council general approach, 2026-06; ENVI committee proposal, 2026-07
Price series and policy rates in this column are dated. Always check the take-date printed next to each figure.
Researched and written by the solarrack.wiki editorial desk. Every figure in this article carries a source and a verification note; where a claim could not be confirmed against a primary document, it is labelled as such. Corrections: [email protected]
