Tag: EU

Press Release – IndustriALL Europe and NGO Shipbreaking Platform call for a robust European Industrial Maritime Strategy for sustainable Ship Recycling and quality jobs

Posted on by Nicola Mulinaris

IndustriALL Europe and the NGO Shipbreaking Platform issued a joint statement calling on the European Commission to adopt a robust European Industrial Maritime Strategy that places safe and circular ship recycling at the heart of Europe’s maritime manufacturing sector, and acknowledges its strategic importance. 

Ship recycling is a high-skill and labour-intensive activity that could positively contribute to Europe’s circular economy and decarbonisation efforts. Yet, even though around 35% of the global fleet is EU/EFTA-owned, only 1% of these are recycled in EU-approved ship recycling facilities. This represents a large missed opportunity as valuable materials from end-of-life ships, predominantly steel, are lost to foreign markets. In addition, quality jobs in the European industry are threatened due to the unfair competition. 

Since a surge in the number of end-of-life ships to be dismantled is expected in the next decade, the EU must be ready to accommodate this by creating a tailored policy environment. Studies estimate that up to 12 Mt of scrap steel from EoL vessels could be yielded per year, which, in current numbers, would cover approximately 20% of Europe’s scrap steel use. 

"Europe must stop treating ship recycling as mere waste management. The EU Industrial Maritime Strategy is a unique chance to anchor ship recycling as a strategic, circular, and socially responsible activity. It should combine high environmental standards with quality jobs, strong health and safety protections, and long-term skills development. This is not just about sustainability—it’s about securing Europe’s industrial future. Ship recycling can become a pillar of decarbonisation and industrial resilience."
Isabelle Barthès - Deputy Secretary General - IndustriALL Europe

In order to secure secondary raw materials, reinforce industrial autonomy, and create decent jobs across the maritime value chain, the organisations propose concrete policy measures to be clearly embedded in the upcoming Industrial Maritime Strategy: 

- recognise ship recycling as a strategic maritime industry essential for climate, circular economy, and raw materials security and autonomy,  

- close loopholes in the EU Ship Recycling Regulation and the Waste Shipment Regulation that allow ship owners to circumvent obligations and export hazardous waste to third countries, namely by including Beneficial Ownership of vessels, 

- embed strong social conditionality in public funding and industrial support to ensure that ship recycling contributes not only to environmental objectives, but also to high quality industrial employment and long-term skills retention in Europe, 

- prepare for the anticipated wave of end-of-life vessels to be dismantled by supporting the EU ship recycling sector, ensuring safe and environmentally sound recycling of vessels, 

- support creation of jobs in the ship recycling sector, which could revitalise EU regions affected by the decline in shipbuilding sector, on certain conditions: maintaining high occupational health and safety standards in the sector, promoting job stability, including fair and stable contracts for workers, and contributing to skills development in the field, 

- continue supporting innovative projects, such as Oppsirk or CirclesOfLife, that could be scaled up with tailored policy support, and further contribute to EU’s industrial autonomy and resilience. 

"As the number of vessels heading for dismantling is set to increase fivefold in the coming decade, ship recycling cannot be the blind spot of the EU’s Industrial Maritime Strategy. Strengthening European ship-recycling capacities can play a crucial role in enhancing the sector’s competitiveness and strategic autonomy (today, only 1% of EU-EFTA-owned ships are recycled in the EU) while directly contributing to the European Union’s circular economy and decarbonisation objectives. The European Commission cannot miss this opportunity to send a strong signal to the sector, investors and policymakers."
Philippine Bernard - Policy Officer - NGO Shipbreaking Platform

In July last year, NGO Shipbreaking Platform provided feedback to the consultation on the Strategy, where a need for tailored policy support for the EU ship recycling sector was identified. Without decisive EU policy, Europe will continue to lose valuable secondary raw materials to foreign markets, weaken its industrial base, and miss a pivotal chance to create sustainable, high skill jobs. By acting now, the EU can turn ship recycling into a cornerstone of its industrial resilience, climate ambition and social equity.

Press Release – European Commission launches consultation on the 15th update of the EU-approved ship recycling facilities list

Posted on by Nicola Mulinaris

The European Commission launched its long-awaited consultation on the 15th update of the European List of ship recycling facilities. As the NGO Shipbreaking Platform, we call on the EU to remove all Turkish ship recycling facilities that use the landing method, support the non-inclusion of Indian ‘beaching’ yards, and urge the EU to support capacity development in line with the circularity and decarbonisation objectives.

We welcome the decision to remove the Dörtel ship recycling yard in Aliağa, Turkey. An inspection carried out by the Commission revealed that a ship was being dismantled while still being partially in the water, and the facility was not equipped with an impermeable floor and a slag collector. This could with a high probability lead to contamination of seawater - the main requirements for proper hazardous waste collection and treatment were therefore not met. Therefore, the removal of this facility from the list was indispensable. Although the decision to remove the the Dörtel ship recycling yard in Aliağa, Turkey is a step in the right direction, we find it insufficient.

"Approving yards in third countries that would never be allowed to operate in the EU creates a double standard that undermines not only recyclers that have already invested in truly sustainable methods, but also efforts to improve and scale practices to an acceptable level globally."
Ingvild Jenssen - Executive Director and Founder - NGO Shipbreaking Platform

Dangerous conditions in Turkish yards continue to reap their toll. In November this year, another worked died when tons of ship scrap fell on him, killing him instantly. This happened at the Temurtaşlar yard, which is an EU-approved facility.

Whereas several Indian yards – where ships are cut on unprotected tidal mudflats – have applied to be included on the European list, and were audited by the European Commission in late 2024, none have been proposed to be added to its most recent edition.

Beaching - the current method used by the Indian yards - does not provide full containment of pollutants; it is not allowed in the EU, explicitly banned in China and the UAE, and has even been identified as a method that needs to be replaced by drydocks by the Indian government in its Maritime India Vision 2030.

In their position submitted to the Commission, the European Shipowners (ESCA) states that the facilities on the EU list have very limited capacities, and their ship recycling activities are predominantly limited to small, often inland-sail vessels. Furthermore, the association complains that Indian ship recycling yards are again not included in the proposed new list.

"Instead of lamenting the exclusion of beaching yards, claiming that they have no other options, ship owners should play an active role in building the needed capacity to sustainably recycle their assets. There is no better time than now to establish cross sectoral synergies with both steel and construction sectors to boost circularity and ensure the availability of industrial platforms to dismantle all types of vessels."
Ingvild Jenssen - Executive Director and Founder - NGO Shipbreaking Platform

Even though it is true that the EU-located facilities recycle smaller vessels, this is not due to the fact of their limitations in terms of size and technical capacities, but to the lack of stable inflow of ships to recycle. Considering the marine cargo sector’s record profits, we find their lack of willingness to contribute to the capacity building in the EU unjustifiable. The top 9 shipping companies’ profits rose in the 3rd quarter of 2025 to more than $4.3 billion in operating profit (EBITDA).

So far, only a handful of ship owners, including Hoegh, Hapag Lloyd, CMA-CGM and Petrobras, are taking action to build a better future for ship recycling. The vast majority continue to circumvent international environmental laws with ease, and even lobby for the weakening of standards as illustrated by the ECSA’s submission.

The Commission is furthermore urged to lead by example and enhance capacity in the EU to recycle the many ships that will head for scrap in the coming years. As outlined in the NGO Shipbreaking Platform’s recent report, enhancing domestic capacity for ship recycling provides a strategic opportunity for the EU to secure a steady supply of high quality secondary scrap for the decarbonisation of the steel and construction sectors, and provides coherence with EU environmental policies aimed at preventing the export of hazardous materials from the EU.

It is high time that the EU takes effective steps to at least hold its own shipping sector to account. The best way to do that is to apply its legislation to the real owners of ships and close legal loopholes made available when relying on the flag or location of the ship. Importantly, EU Member States now have to signal whether they will continue to succumb to pressure from ship owners that seek to avoid accountability or support the development of green jobs and circular hubs that will benefit European steel and construction sectors and reward responsible ship owners.

Press Release – Ship recycling can and should boost circularity, sustainable transition, and creation of green jobs in the EU steel and recycling sectors

Posted on by Nicola Mulinaris

The NGO Shipbreaking Platform, Recycling Europe, and EUROFER publish a joint statement calling the EU for a recognition of the strategic importance of the European ship recycling sector. The signing parties highlight the numerous benefits of ship recycling for the European steel market in light of circularity and the green transition towards low-carbon production methods, and outline concrete policy actions needed to unlock its full potential.

Why ship recycling matters:

- an aging global fleet – studies forecast a five‑fold increase in end‑of‑life (EoL) vessels by 2033;

- material recovery – between 70 % and 95 % of a ship’s weight can be reclaimed as high‑quality scrap, supplying the steel industry with a substantial secondary‑raw‑material stream;

- the EU stake – companies based in the EU and EFTA own about one‑third of the world’s fleet, placing the continent in a pivotal position to steer the transition.

The NGO Shipbreaking Platform recently published a thorough report on the role of scrap steel from end-of-life ships in the decarbonisation efforts of the European steel industry. The report suggested several policy changes that could increase access to high quality secondary steel from the maritime sector.

Now joined by the European recycling and steel sectors, we call on the European Commission to adopt effective measures to increase capacity in the EU to recycle the many ships that will head for scrap in the coming years.

In order to keep the valuable steel in the European market, and therefore contribute to strategic material autonomy, the signing parties call the European Commission for:

- Closing the re-flagging loophole in the EU Ship Recycling Regulation by enlarging its scope to the real owners of vessels

- A true level playing field: only fully compliant yards approved

- Investment & financing to scale EU ship recycling capacity

- Transparency from shipowners on fleet retirement plans

- Recognition of ship recycling in the upcoming Circular Economy Act

By keeping valuable steel within the EU, the proposed actions will:

- accelerate decarbonisation – each tonne of recycled ferrous scrap avoids roughly 1.6 t CO₂ (carbon steel) or 5 t CO₂ (stainless steel) compared with primary production;

- strengthen strategic material autonomy – reduces reliance on imported iron ore and coal, shortening supply chains;

- create green employment – modern ship‑recycling yards and green steel sector generate jobs in engineering, environmental management and advanced manufacturing;

- uphold Europe’s leadership – reinforces the EU as a front‑runner in environmental stewardship, worker safety and circular economy policy.

Bringing back ship recycling to the EU is also a question of environmental justice as ships contain many hazardous materials of which the export to South Asian beaches is prohibited by international law. The EU should take responsibility for its ships and ensure their safe and environmentally sound recycling. Strengthening the domestic ship recycling sector will contribute to the EU’s circularity objectives, its strategic material autonomy, while creating green jobs in synergy with the steel market.

You can find the full statement by clicking here.

Press Release – EU urged to halt approvals of hazardous shipbreaking facilities in Aliağa, Turkey

Posted on by Nicola Mulinaris

Turkish and European NGOs call for stricter enforcement of the EU Ship Recycling Regulation

 

 

Turkish and European civil society is urging the EU to revoke the approvals of ship recycling yards that put workers and the environment at risk. In an open letter to the European Commission, a broad coalition of Turkish NGOs, lawyers, unions and city councils, backed by Brussels-based NGO Shipbreaking Platform and the European Environmental Bureau (EEB), demand the immediate withdrawal of all EU approvals granted to ship recycling facilities in Aliağa, Turkey, under Article 23 of the EU Ship Recycling Regulation (SRR) [1].

The letter highlights several infringements of the SRR, including environmental and public health risks linked to regulatory exemptions, gaps in law enforcement, illegal waste dumping and contamination by heavy metals and other pollutants.

The coalition held a press conference in Izmir on 18 November. The signatories argue that the existing approvals effectively legitimise practices that would never be allowed in any EU Member State, creating a dangerous double standard that exposes workers and communities to environmental and occupational hazards.

The signing parties call on the European Commission to:

- revoke all EU approvals for Aliağa ship recycling facilities without delay;

- revise the approval procedures under the EU Ship Recycling Regulation so that only fully contained, industrial platform methods, such as drydocks, can be approved;

- fully cooperate with authorities and civil society organisations to ensure that the infrastructure in Aliağa provides safe and environmentally sound ship recycling.

Signatories also raise concerns about the Commission’s ongoing assessment of applications from Indian ‘beaching’ yards. Beaching – the practice of dismantling ships directly on tidal mudflats – is expressly forbidden in the EU. The NGOs urge the Commission to adopt a consistent, zero tolerance policy toward any shipbreaking method that cannot guarantee full containment of pollutants and protection of workers from occupational hazards and fatal accidents.

"While the EU focuses on championing a single market for raw materials, it turns a blind eye to ship recycling yards plagued by labour and environmental abuses. The EU must apply the precautionary principle and remove these facilities from the Ship Recycling Regulation list immediately."
Eva Bille - Head of Circular Economy - European Environmental Bureau

In December 2023, NGO Shipbreaking Platform published a thorough report on ship recycling in Turkey, highlighting systemic failures across the sector. Further submissions regarding updates to the EU list are available here, here, and here.

"The EU list should represent a level-playing field, and must not legitimise bad practices and double standards in the sector. This is something we strongly condemn, and, therefore we take action and support the local civil society."
Ekin Sakin - Policy Officer - NGO Shipbreaking Platform

To be included in the European List, any ship recycling facility, irrespective of its location, must comply with strict safety and environmental requirements. Currently, more than half of EU-flagged vessels are dismantled in Aliağa, where 11 of the 22 local yards are already EU-approved, and five additional facilities are seeking approval.

NOTES

 

[1] Article 23 of the EU SRR states that ”natural or legal persons affected or likely to be affected [...] shall be entitled to request the Commission to take action under this Regulation with respect to such a breach or an imminent threat of such a breach”. Considering the well-documented breaches in terms of environmental protection and health, the signatories urge the Commission to take immediate action.

Press Release – Ship scrap steel can help decarbonise European steelmaking, highlights a new report

Posted on by Nicola Mulinaris

NGO Shipbreaking Platform, in collaboration with Sandbag - Smarter Climate Policy and the University of Tuscia, publishes a thorough report on the role of scrap steel from end-of-life ships in the decarbonisation efforts of the European steel industry. As the EU accelerates its industrial transformation towards more sustainability, ship recycling stands out as a key opportunity to decarbonise steelmaking, strengthen industrial resilience, and build a truly circular economy.

Steel is one of the critical elements of Europe’s industrial strategy. To achieve the European Union’s climate targets, the steel industry must rapidly shift from carbon‑intensive blast furnace steelmaking to low‑carbon electric arc furnace technology, which can incorporate high amounts of scrap steel. As this shift will require steady access to high-quality scrap, boosting capacity to recycle ships in the EU becomes key.

"Europe’s shipping sector is sitting on a massive resource of high‑quality steel that is currently being processed under unsafe conditions abroad at end-of-life. Our report shows that with the right policies, including clear traceability, stricter enforcement, and financial incentives, we can turn ship scrap into a cornerstone of a circular, low‑carbon steel economy. This is not just an environmental win - it is a strategic opportunity for European industry."
Benedetta Mantoan - Policy Officer - NGO Shipbreaking Platform

Ship steel is known for its high, uniform quality and rigorous certification standards - characteristics that make it highly suitable not only for recycling but also for direct reuse. The report highlights innovation from digital material traceability tools developed under the Horizon Project CirclesOfLife, to ship life-extension research by the Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research, and the reuse of steel plates in construction, demonstrated by the start-up Nordic Circles as both economically viable and environmentally safe. Together, these developments show how the maritime, steel, and construction industries can collaborate to close material loops and scale circular solutions.

"However, without clear data on composition and certification, much of the steel’s value is lost. Only by enhancing traceability and documentation will the seamless integration of ship scrap into Europe’s industries, including direct reuse in construction, be possible, and significantly boost both economic and environmental benefits, while optimising recovery rates."
Benedetta Mantoan - Policy Officer - NGO Shipbreaking Platform

Ship scrap in numbers

- Only 1% of European ships are currently recycled in the EU;

 

- 70–95% of a ship’s weight can be recovered as scrap, making end-of-life vessels a largely untapped resource;

 

- Recycling ship steel can cut CO₂ emissions by up to 80 % compared to the use of virgin materials, while using roughly 40 % less water and energy;

 

- Forecasts show a surge in EU/EFTA‑owned ship demolitions throughout the next decade, peaking at approximately 12 Mt of scrap steel per year. This could satisfy 10‑15 Mt of the EU’s annual scrap steel demand - roughly 20 % of total consumption.

 

 

Policy recommendations

To seize the opportunity ship scrap steel represents for decarbonising both the European steel and construction sectors, the EU must improve transparency and data on end-of-life vessels, strengthen material documentation, and ensure recycling takes place under the highest safety and environmental standards in EU/EFTA-located ship recycling yards. Upcoming EU policies, including the Circular Economy Act and the Industrial Accelerators Act, should explicitly support sustainable ship recycling in line with EU circularity principles. The report also urges the EU to close existing loopholes in the EU Ship Recycling Regulation, currently applying to EU-flagged vessels only and circumvented by out-flagging practices, and the EU Waste Shipment Regulation, which does not effectively tackle the fraudulent further operability claims of vessel owners.

Click here to access the report.

Platform News – EU Circular Economy Act: ship recycling can help decarbonise the EU’s steel and construction sectors

Posted on by Nicola Mulinaris

With a significant number of ships expected to reach the end of their service life in the coming years, ship recycling presents a strategic opportunity for Europe to meet its goals on circularity and cleaner industrial policies.

 

The NGO Shipbreaking Platform participated in the European Commission’s consultation on an upcoming game-changing legislation: the Circular Economy Act. Our main point is clear: ship recycling presents a significant opportunity to achieve not only enhanced circularity, but also the EU’s strategic autonomy, decarbonisation and competitiveness objectives, while putting an end to the export of harmful waste to third countries.

 

In particular, we highlight the role ship recycling can play for the decarbonisation of the European steel and construction sectors. The world’s fleet is not only growing, but also aging, which will create more opportunities for steel recycling as it is ships’ default building material. Studies predict an even five-fold increase of ships sent for dismantling in the next decade, which could yield more than 100 million tonnes of high-quality steel. Since steel recycling saves 1.5 tonnes of CO₂ compared to raw steel, this would lead to huge emissions reductions and significantly limit pollution. Also, innovative projects have demonstrated how we can directly re-use ship steel in sectors such as construction.

 

However, the vast majority of end-of-life ships end up on Bangladeshi, Indian or Pakistani beaches, where the dismantling and recycling practices are far from safe. Only 1% of EU-owned vessels are recycled in Europe. 

"Owning one third of the world's fleet, the European Union has a duty to lead the way and set an ambitious example for sustainable ship recycling. Instead of destroying fragile coastal ecosystems, and putting workers in third countries’ health at risk, EU-owned end-of-life ships should contribute to decarbonisation and circularity efforts."
Ingvild Jenssen - Executive Director - NGO Shipbreaking Platform

The Circular Economy Act is a key opportunity to shift the sector towards more sustainable practices. The NGO Shipbreaking Platform therefore calls on the European Commission to include in its proposal:

 

- A clear prioritisation of eco-design and upcycling practices that promote reuse over recycling;

- An explicit recognition of the EU-owned fleet as a material bank of high-quality steel, and ship-derived steel as a strategic source of secondary raw material;

- Enhanced product information transparency to facilitate the circulation of ship materials across industries, notably through creation of a Ship Material Passport;

- Ambitious lead market measures for end-of-life ships materials including mandatory circular public procurement targets;

- Strong circularity incentives for the maritime sector including a ship recycling return scheme;

- Clear support to circular innovations and research;

- Decisive action to close legal and enforcement loopholes on end-of-life ship exports, in particular by reviewing the EU Ship Recycling Regulation.

 

We welcome and support any action leading to preventing exports of hazardous waste, and unleashing the circular economy’s potential with its numerous benefits. We therefore call on the European Commission to recognize the strategic role of ship recycling in achieving circularity of the EU economy, and to include the proposed measures to unlock this potential in the Circular Economy Act.

 

Click here to access our full position paper.

Press Release – Marinakis’ tanker beached in Bangladesh amid Greek government indifference

Posted on by Nicola Mulinaris

Reports United's investigation exposes systemic law evasion and industry complicity

 

A recent Reporters United’s investigation into the illegal end-of-life sale of TRADER III — a tanker linked to companies of Greek shipowner and media magnate Vangelis Marinakis — lays bare how Europe’s most powerful shipping interests still funnel toxic end-of-life ships to Bangladesh’s tidal beaches. It also records, in the words of a senior Greek official, a policy of deliberate indifference that lets these illegal exports sail on.

 

The facts are stark. On 29 January 2025 the TRADER III called port at Nemrut, Turkey. The next day it tracked toward Chios, cut south across Greek territorial waters, drifted off Egypt until 14 February, then headed east towards the shipbreaking beach of Chattogram, Bangladesh. On 15 March the tanker was beached at KR Ship Recycling Industries’ King Steel yard. By then, the deal chain had done what it was designed to do: deliver illegally a high-value hull to a non-OECD beach, far from EU oversight, for workers to cut it by hand amid hazardous substances onboard.

At the centre of the deal stands Global Marketing Systems (GMS), the world’s largest cash buyer of scrap ships — and a company long accused of enabling the world's toxic shipbreaking trade. The journalists document that Marinakis-linked interests sold the vessel directly to GMS. Scrap dealers, such as GMS, arbitrage lax standards and higher per-tonne prices paid by South Asian beaching yards. 

 

The report also showcases how ship owners and GMS get away with trafficking ships to South Asian beaches. In June 2025, GMS hosted a webinar featuring Petros Varelidis, Greece’s Secretary-General for Natural Environment. There, Varelidis spelled out — without ambiguity — a policy of wilful non-enforcement when it comes to regulating exports of end-of-life ships like TRADER III from Greek waters. He also went further, dismissing EU officials responsible for monitoring ship recycling as “low-level bureaucrats”.

 

Inaction by Greek authorities causes harm. Chattogram's yards remain among the world’s deadliest work places. King Steel yard itself recorded an accident in August while the TRADER III was beached there. Europe’s legal framework is unambiguous: exports of end-of-life ships from the EU to non-OECD are banned, and the EU Ship Recycling Regulation channels EU-flag ships to approved yards — a list that does not include beaching yards in Bangladesh. Owners dodge this with flags of convenience and cash-buyer transfers, but courts across Europe have begun to pierce the veil of such deals, recognising owners’ duty of care to ensure sustainable ship recycling. 

 

Greece and Turkey are the main European chokepoints — the last predictable places to stop on the way to a beaching yard. Yet, as Reporters United’s file shows, Greece “pretends”, and Turkey looks away, even when NGOs provide concrete case alerts. “Greek and Turkish authorities have a very bad track record of turning a blind eye,” our policy team told the reporters, reflecting years of unanswered warnings about illegal exports staged from their waters.

"What happens next will show whether the law matters when powerful owners are involved. We call on Greek prosecutors to open an immediate probe into the Trader III’s export, to obtain contracts, emails and an end-of-life sale timeline, as well as investigate compliance by responsible Greek authorities. The seller’s intent and the ship’s foreseeably illegal destination were evident before the vessel left Greek waters. EU institutions should furthermore sanction Greece’s evident failure to comply with the Waste Shipment Regulation"
Ingvild Jenssen - Executive Director - NGO Shipbreaking Platform

Press Release – From refurbishment promise to scrapping threat: the Moby Drea controversy

Posted on by Nicola Mulinaris

The Italian-flagged ferry MOBY DREA, which left Genoa in July after its owner assured Italian authorities it would be refurbished in Croatia and returned to service, is now mired in controversy. Following protests by Croatian civil society organisations, the heavily asbestos-contaminated vessel is again on the market for dismantling.

 

Public outrage in Split has been building for weeks, with the civic initiative “Zdravi Split” leading protests to demand that the ship leaves Croatia, as it was feared the removal of 400 tonnes of asbestos would be conducted locally at the Brodosplit yard, exposing workers and residents to unjustifiable risks. In response, Croatia’s Ministry of Sea, Transport, and Infrastructure ordered the vessel to leave within seven days, but later extended the deadline by fifteen. Now, it is reported that the ship is finally scheduled to depart today.

 

Open letters to the government stress that asbestos removal constitutes ship recycling, which is strictly regulated under EU law (Regulation 1257/2013) and the Basel Convention. The Brodosplit yard is not licensed for conducting scrapping operations, the ship should thus never have been allowed to enter Croatia in the first place.

 

Two official Inventories of Hazardous Materials dated 10 September 2024 and 20 January 2025 further eroded trust; the first having declared the presence of 64.30 tonnes of asbestos onboard, while the second estimating nearly 400 tonnes. This huge discrepancy raises serious concerns about oversight and transparency, and adds to the sense that the MOBY DREA case has been mishandled from the outset.

"The MOBY DREA carries an enormous asbestos load, and it must not end up in a facility that cannot manage it safely."
Benedetta Mantoan - Policy Officer - NGO Shipbreaking Platform

The Platform warns that Turkey, a likely destination for scrapping, cannot be considered a responsible option. Turkish ship recycling yards have repeatedly been criticised for unsafe practices, particularly in the handling and disposal of toxics such as asbestos. Sending a vessel with nearly 400 tonnes of asbestos to such facilities would endanger the health of workers and surrounding communities. 

"The ship owner and Italian authorities, as the flag state, now have a responsibility to ensure the vessel leaves Croatia without delay and is recycled at a certified European facility capable of managing its hazardous materials in full compliance with the law."
Benedetta Mantoan - Policy Officer - NGO Shipbreaking Platform

Press Release – Rendsburg Court acknowledges environmental harm caused by shipbreaking, but acquits shipowners

Posted on by Nicola Mulinaris

NGOs welcome Public Prosecutor’s appeal

 

The NGO Shipbreaking Platform welcomes the Public prosecutor’s appeal of the Rendsburg District Court’s decision to acquit the shipowners involved in the illegal export and scrapping of the ship WESTERHAMM. While the ruling marks the first time in Germany that shipowners stand trial for violating environmental law through shipbreaking practices, the Court failed to hold them legally accountable — despite the judge’s own recognition of the environmental damage caused.

 

In her oral statement, Judge Martje Heinsohn made a powerful and unequivocal declaration: “What you did was not right. You caused significant damage to the environment in order to achieve maximum profit. I can only appeal to you to give something back to the environment.”

 

The WESTERHAMM, a 188-meter-long container ship operated by MSC and owned by Rendsburg Schiffahrtskontor, sailed from Bremerhaven on 2 November in 2016, then made stops in Gibraltar and Egypt before being deliberately driven at full speed onto the infamous shipbreaking beach of Alang, India. There, it was dismantled under conditions that are well documented to be highly hazardous for both workers and the environment. The export of end-of-life ships to India is illegal under the EU Waste Shipment Regulation.

 

The Court’s decision to acquit was based on doubts about the timing of the intention to dispose the ship. The shipowners claimed that the decision to scrap the vessel was only taken when the vessel had left German waters and provided as evidence sales documents for scrapping that had been signed when the ship was in international waters. They also sought to argue that because the WESTERHAMM was still operational when it left Germany, the ship could not be considered as waste under international and EU law, disregarding well-established jurisprudence that confirms a vessel can simultaneously be classified as both a ship and waste. Indeed, what triggers the classification as waste is the owner’s intent to dispose the asset, and because a ship is a waste that can move on its own — unlike most other types of waste — it remains also a ship subject to all other maritime regulations on its last voyage to the scrapping yard.  The fact that the WESTERHAMM was still operational does therefore not negate its classification as waste under international and EU law. 

 

The public prosecutors have appealed the acquittal and maintain that internal communications confirming the “unconditional desire to dispose of the ship” as there was no market for its further operational use provide evidence of the intent to dispose of the ship. 

 

In other cases of illegal trafficking of end-of-life vessels, fraudulent information on further operational use or repair was provided to circumvent EU waste laws. In Norway, Altera was held liable for the illegal export of two shuttle tankers to India — also in this case the owners had claimed that the scrapping of the ships was only decided when the ships had left Norwegian waters. In the Harrier case it was shown that the owners had deliberately provided fraudulent information on repair works in Dubai to authorities to avoid the trade ban, while the true destination was scrapping in Pakistan. Also in the North Sea Producer case, it was claimed that the vessel would be further used in Nigeria – instead it sailed straight to Bangladesh for scrapping. 

"The shipping industry is well versed in how to circumvent international waste laws. In our view, the question is which state is the exporting state if it is not Germany? Importantly, the decision to scrap the Westerhamm was taken in an office in Germany – where the vessel actually was at that time should not be the decisive matter — after all ships are intended to move. While we regret last week’s missed opportunity to hold the owners of the Westerhamm accountable for circumventing European waste laws, we are satisfied to see that the public prosecutor’s office has appealed the decision."
Ingvild Jenssen - Executive Director & Founder - NGO Shipbreaking Platform

Platform News – EU must take action to end dumping of toxic ships and support capacity building

Posted on by Nicola Mulinaris

The European Commission published its evaluation of the EU Ship Recycling Regulation (EU SRR) earlier this month. The evaluation clearly identifies several issues that hinder the effectiveness of the EU SRR, including circumvention of the regulation through out-flagging and a lack of detailed EU standards for hazardous waste management and environmental monitoring. Yet, the Commission does not consider a swift revision of the EU SRR an adequate response.

"As identified in the evaluation, the EU SRR has not delivered the expected outcomes in terms of increasing the market share for sustainable ship recycling [1]. With no immediate plans for a review of the EU SRR, we urge the Commission to effectively adopt alternative measures that will boost capacity for sustainable ship recycling and prevent European shipping companies from dumping their toxic ships on beaches in South Asia."
Ingvild Jenssen - Executive Director and Founder - NGO Shipbreaking Platform

The evaluation also announces an upcoming report on the feasibility of introducing a return scheme for ships trading in the EU to incentivise the use of EU-approved ship recycling facilities. Additionally, it aims to clarify the application of corrective and punitive actions in cases where deficiencies are identified during ship recycling facility inspections and highlights unannounced inspections as an essential tool for ensuring the effectiveness of the EU SRR.

 

To prevent the loss of skills in both the maritime and circular economy sectors and to boost capacity for handling the increasing number of vessels expected to reach end-of-life in the coming years, the EU’s approach to ship recycling must uphold the Polluter Pays principle and contribute to the general policy objectives of the European Green Deal, including optimised material recovery and zero-emission industrial activities. When formulating targets and policy measures under the Circular Economy Act, the Steel and Metals Action Plan, the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation, and the new Clean Industrial Deal, ship recycling must be recognised as a key contributor to the decarbonisation of the European steel sector.

 

Furthermore, the evaluation finds that the standards set by the EU SRR and their implementation are not sufficiently aligned with EU safety and environmental acquis [2]. Consequently, the Commission intends to develop clearer criteria for the EU approval of ship recycling facilities. The NGO Shipbreaking Platform recommends incorporating measures to optimise material recovery from ships, particularly steel recycling operations. Clear requirements for environmental, health, and safety monitoring and reporting must also be established to ensure that all yards on the EU List operate fully in line with EU standards.

"Double standards have been identified, and they are unacceptable—if a practice is not allowed in the EU, it should not be approved on the EU List. There is no valid justification for allowing EU-flagged or EU-owned ships to be scrapped outside the EU under conditions that would not be permitted within the EU. Beaching—the scrapping of vessels on intertidal mudflats, as practised in all South Asian yards—is not allowed in the EU, nor does the cold re-rolling of scrap steel comply with EU standards."
Ingvild Jenssen - Executive Director and Founder - NGO Shipbreaking Platform

While the shipping industry is pressuring the EU to accept Indian beaching yards onto the EU List, the NGO Shipbreaking Platform warns that such a move would blatantly undermine the EU SRR’s objective of creating a level playing field that benefits yards operating in line with the EU safety and environmental acquis. It would also seriously threaten the future of the EU ship recycling sector and the recent investments made to establish new ship recycling facilities based on industrial platforms that provide full containment.

 

The evaluation rightly recognises that the International Maritime Organization’s Hong Kong Convention sets far weaker standards than the EU SRR. The NGO Shipbreaking Platform supports the EU’s efforts to take international leadership in amending the Hong Kong Convention to align with the EU SRR while ensuring full and effective implementation of the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Waste and their Disposal as it applies to end-of-life ships.

"Efforts at the international level should not prevent the EU from addressing the issues that weaken the effectiveness of the EU SRR. Expanding the regulation’s scope to include beneficial ownership and introducing a financial incentive are both measures that could improve ship recycling regulations globally. The EU has a track record of taking the lead as an early adopter of safety and environmental measures, later championing their global implementation through the International Maritime Organisation. "
Ingvild Jenssen - Executive Director and Founder - NGO Shipbreaking Platform

The Polluter Pays principle and Extended Producer Responsibility are fundamental principles of EU environmental policies and must also apply to the shipping sector. By holding EU-based shipping companies accountable—regardless of their vessels’ flags—many more ships would fall under EU regulations, ensuring alignment with broader EU corporate accountability policies. The current opacity of ownership structures in the shipping sector poses several problems, and transparency regarding the European shipping sector’s Beneficial Owners should be ensured, starting with the public disclosure of ownership details for the 21,000 ships classified as EU-owned.

 

NOTES

 

[1] The evaluation report highlights that “shipping companies did not make the shift they were expected to make towards dismantling their ships in facilities on the European List.” It identifies flagging-out from EU registries at end-of-life as a key factor undermining the effectiveness of the regulation. While flags such as Comoros, St Kitts and Nevis, and Palau are alarmingly popular at end-of-life, many EU-owned vessels never sail under an EU flag, or only do so during their early operational years. As the evaluation notes, fewer than 40 vessels are scrapped annually under an EU flag—a figure far lower than the number of ships scrapped each year by EU shipping companies, many of which end up on South Asian beaches.

 

The report further finds that shipping companies swap their EU flags for non-EU flags to access higher prices from yards not included on the EU List. While the shipping sector presents this as a key factor in maintaining global competitiveness, the report shows that the additional revenue gained from substandard shipbreaking yards represents only 0.0020% to 0.0050% of some shipping companies' annual revenues—demonstrating that the industry can afford to manage its end-of-life fleet at facilities that meet EU standards.

 

[2] Some EU-approved yards in Turkey have been found lacking essential environmental safeguards, such as oil-water separators and functional wastewater collection systems, leading to direct environmental discharge. These deficiencies contrast sharply with wastewater management requirements for yards in EU/EFTA countries. Moreover, facilities operating in Aliaga have not undergone an Environmental Impact Assessment or obtained an environmental licence in accordance with Turkish regulations. These are serious concerns that do not align with EU standards for the safe and environmentally sound management of hazardous waste.