A top European Union court has rejected an appeal made by Chinese firms to remove anti-dumping and antisubsidy measures imposed by the region's member states on imports of solar panels and key components.

General Court of the EU said in a statement: "The court rejects all the applications and confirms all the definitive duties set by the Council."

The commission’s investigation conducted between 2012 and 2013 disclosed that Chinese solar panels being sold in Europe are below their normal market value.

Based on this investigation, the council imposed anti-dumping duties on imports of solar panels and key components from China.

Around 26 firms impacted by the council’s duties applied to the EU’s court for annulment of the corresponding anti-dumping and anti-subsidy measures.

The council had also imposed definitive anti-subsidy duties on imports of the same products, as they cause significant loss to EU solar panel producers.

In its ruling, the court considers the EU institutions were entitled to view photovoltaic cells and modules as a single product.

The court noted: "The institutions’ choice may be justified by their objective of examining the existence of potential dumping practices in China, and not in another country, which falls within the scope of their broad discretion."

Besides, the court rejected "the argument that the rates of duties determined by the Council are excessive compared with what is necessary to remedy the injury caused to the EU industry by the dumped imports."