Shipbreaking yards in Alang-Sosiya, Gujarat, India. July 2026

© NGO Shipbreaking Platform

Dismantling vessels directly on beaches (beaching) is not allowed in any of the EU Member States as it does not prevent toxic leakages into soil, water, and marine ecosystems. Recent oil spills in Alang yards unfortunately demonstrated the fundamental inability to contain pollutants when ships are broken down on intertidal zones.

The decision to allow beaching yards on the EU List would undermine responsible ship recyclers who made significant investments to meet high environmental, health, safety, and labour standards, and would expose them to unfair competition from substandard facilities. It runs against the EU Industrial Maritime Strategy and Clean Industrial Deal, which call for expanding European ship recycling capacity and securing material strategic autonomy. Most critically, it greenlights the exports of hazardous waste to countries lacking equivalent protections, a practice at odds with the EU Waste Shipment Regulation and the Basel Ban Amendment. 

The demands from the signing parties are clear: 

- Do not approve beaching facilities on the EU List; 

- Further develop the technical guidance not approving the beaching method under the EU Ship Recycling Regulation;

- Lead international advocacy for a global beaching ban at the International Maritime Organisation level;

- Close legal loopholes enabling the re-flagging of vessels and ensure that all EU-owned vessels are recycle in line with the EU standards; 

- Implement concrete measures to expand European ship recycling capacity in line with the best available practices.

As reflected in the numerous responses to the Commission’s consultation on the matter and in this letter, a diverse and important range of stakeholders, from NGOs and steel companies to ship recycling yards and trade unions, call for an immediate withdrawal of the proposal. 

The organisations urge the Commission to apply uniform standards across all listed facilities, regardless of geography. The safety of workers, communities, and ecosystems cannot be compromised.