BRUSSELS - The European Commission started Thursday anti-dumping investigation into imports of solar panels and key components from China.

According to a statement issued by the Commission, the charge was initiated by EU ProSun, an industry association, on July 25 2012. ProSun claimed solar panels and their key components imported from China enter the European market at prices below market value.

The European Union (EU) said the case was the most significant anti-dumping complaint the European Commission has received so far in term of import value. China exported about 21 billion euros worth of solar panels and their key components to the EU in 2011, according to EU statistics.

The investigation will take 15 months, during which a provisional anti-dumping duties of within 9 months might be imposed according to EU rules, provided there is sufficient prima facie evidence of dumping.

A spokesman for China's Ministry of Commerce on Thursday expressed the country's "deep regrets" over the European Commission's decision to launch anti-dumping probes into Chinese solar exports.

"Restricting China's solar panel products will not only hurt the interests of both Chinese and European industry, it will also undermine the healthy development of the global solar and clean energy sector," Shen Danyang said.

He urged the EU to scrap existing protectionist measures and not to introduce new protectionist trade and investment policies before 2014.

The nation calls on the EU to "seriously consider China's position and proposals, and to resolve friction over solar panel trade through consultations and cooperation," Shen said.