21 January 2026 | Online webinar
On 21 January 2026, the HEPAFLEX project organized the online webinar “Dialogue on perovskite: identifying gaps and building the next generation of EU policies”, bringing together several Horizon Europe projects and external stakeholders to reflect on the adequacy of the current European regulatory, policy and standardization framework for emerging perovskite-based photovoltaic (PV) technologies. The event formed part of HEPAFLEX activities dedicated to analyzing regulatory readiness across the full life cycle of innovative PV solutions, with a particular focus on identifying gaps that may hinder future market uptake.
The webinar addressed a specialized audience with professional experience in photovoltaic technologies and sustainability regulation, including representatives from EU-funded research and innovation projects, research organizations, technology developers, and experts in standardization, certification, circular economy, waste management and digital product information systems. The agenda combined technical presentations with a moderated roundtable discussion, enabling an open exchange among stakeholders familiar with EU policy instruments and regulatory compliance challenges in the PV sector.
Presentations from the HEPAFLEX, EFESO, APOLLO, and QUASAR projects provided complementary perspectives on regulation, standardization, circularity, and digitalization of next-generation PV technologies. The discussions highlighted that current EU legislation and policy instruments, such as the European Green Deal, the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation, REACH, WEEE and CE marking requirements, have been largely developed around established PV technologies. While these frameworks provide a strong basis for environmental protection and market surveillance, no standards or certification schemes are currently specific to perovskite PVs, placing these technologies in regulatory grey areas that may delay market entry once sufficient technological maturity is achieved.
At the same time, participants acknowledged that existing legislation offers legal certainty and high levels of environmental and consumer protection. However, applying requirements designed for crystalline silicon PVs to perovskite technologies may result in inappropriate testing conditions, disproportionate compliance costs or unfavorable technology assessments. From a life-cycle perspective, end-of-life management and hazardous substance regulation were identified as particularly sensitive areas. Under current rules, novel PV technologies such as perovskites are likely to fall under existing waste classifications, potentially leading to their categorization as hazardous waste and creating unintended barriers to innovation if not adequately addressed.
The webinar also highlighted the potential role of digital tools, particularly Digital Product Passports, as enablers for regulatory compliance, traceability, circularity, and transparency across the PV value chain. Participants stressed that their effectiveness will depend on how future regulatory requirements are defined and implemented, and on whether they adequately reflect the specificities of emerging PV technologies.
Overall, the discussions confirmed the European Union’s strong political commitment and financial support for innovative photovoltaic technologies, while also underlining the need for targeted and timely efforts to better align regulation, standardisation and innovation. Improved communication and early dialogue between researchers, industry actors and policy-makers were identified as essential to avoid regulatory bottlenecks and to ensure that emerging perovskite-based PV technologies can effectively contribute to Europe’s energy transition once they are ready for market deployment.
The outcomes of the webinar directly support HEPAFLEX activities on legal framework mapping, regulatory gap analysis and stakeholder engagement, and will inform subsequent project work on standardisation pathways, policy reflections and dissemination activities.
