Tag: policy

Press Release – EU Industrial Maritime Strategy: Commitment to boost EU-based ship recycling capacity must be backed by concrete funding and measures and a true level playing field

Posted on by Nicola Mulinaris

The European Commission published on Wednesday 5 March its Industrial Maritime Strategy, an important milestone in supporting the European maritime industry. While the strategy acknowledges the importance of ship recycling and the need to strengthen the sector within the EU, it lacks actionable measures to scale up capacity. The strategy’s reference to cooperating with India moreover risks accentuating the unfair competition currently faced by EU yards which today remain underutilised. Without clear targeted support, and an unambiguous plan to boost domestic capacity, the EU risks missing a critical opportunity to meet its climate and circularity objectives.

Although EU/EFTA shipping companies own over 35% of the global fleet, only 1% of EU-owned ships are today dismantled in the EU. According to our research, about 12 000 EU/EFTA-owned vessels will become eligible for scrapping in the next decade. Boosting European capacities for ship recycling is therefore timely and will provide key sectors with access to high quality scrap steel, as recently called for by the NGO Shipbreaking Platform, EUROFER and Recycling Europe.

In this context, the NGO Shipbreaking Platform welcomes the European Commission’s commitment to “explore ways to support the expansion of domestic EU ship recycling capacity”. As outlined in our report Scrap Steel at Sea, ship scrap steel represents a valuable feedstock for steel producers, who, by using scrap instead of virgin materials, can achieve substantial savings in water and energy, reduction of CO2 emissions, while also reducing reliance on imported raw materials vulnerable to geopolitical disruptions. 

While the Industrial Maritime Strategy signals a step in the right direction, clear commitments are, however, needed to ensure that the targeted funds announced for the maritime industry give specific attention to developing a competitive European ship recycling sector.

The announced EU Industrial Maritime Value Chains Alliance could in that regard play a pivotal role by mapping existing ship recycling capacities, identifying the investments required to scale them up in response to the forthcoming surge of end-of-life vessels, and assessing the associated job creation potential.  

The strategic importance of the EU ship recycling sector in strengthening the bloc’s material resilience should furthermore be explicitly aligned with the other key policies, such as the Industrial Accelerator Act and Circular Economy Act. Finally, to effectively enable broader uptake of low-carbon maritime scrap-based or upcycled steel in lead markets, binding criteria for recycled content in public procurement [1] should be adopted.

The NGO Shipbreaking Platform supports the European Commission’s commitment to engage at the international level to strengthen the Hong Kong Convention [2] and align it with the EU Ship Recycling Regulation. However, while ensuring fair competition with third countries is one of the Commission’s main objectives, the Strategy does not address the unfair competition faced by EU ship recycling yards, including from substandard non-EU yards approved under the EU Ship Recycling Regulation. Also, as the Commission commits to "work with trading partners with ship-recycling capacity, starting with India [3], to foster high environmental and social standard”, the NGO Shipbreaking Platform warns that Indian shipbreaking yards still rely fully on the beaching method and that any rubberstamping of this lowest standard in ship recycling, not allowed in the EU, would undermine efforts aimed at boosting EU capacity and a level playing field that fosters fair competition.  

"India currently does not have the capacities to recycle ships in a safe and environmentally sound manner. EU cooperation with third countries, including India, on ship recycling, must be based on the enforcement of strict social, occupational health and environmental standards as applied in the EU, clearly banning harmful practices such as beaching or landing as practiced in South Asia and Turkey respectively. Besides, international and EU waste laws are clear on the illegality of exporting hazardous waste, including end-of-life ships, from the EU to India."
Ingvild Jenssen - Founder and Executive Director - NGO Shipbreaking Platform

The NGO Shipbreaking Platform stands ready to collaborate with the Commission and maritime stakeholders to implement the Industrial Maritime Strategy and go beyond to ensure that effective measures are in place to foster the safe and environmentally sound dismantling of all European ships. 

 

NOTES

 

[1] Additionally, as the Commission plans to leverage public procurement in relevant segments, such as ferries or research vessels, it should also consider making it mandatory for public vessels to be recycled within the EU. Notably, Germany currently sends its military ships for recycling in Aliağa, Turkey. 

[2] The Hong Kong Convention does not provide for safe and environmentally sound ship recycling as it lacks robust safety, environmental and labour protection standards, fails to prohibit the beaching method, and ignores the management and accountability of hazardous wastes downstream, rubber-stamping with that unsafe and polluting shipbreaking practices that continue to harm workers, local communities and fragile coastal ecosystems. 

[3] This only comes a few weeks after the EU announced planning to “pursue cooperation [with India] to support sustainable ship recycling activities.”

 

Press Release – U.S. Shipping Line Matson backtracks on commitment to not dump their old ships on South Asian Beaches

Posted on by Nicola Mulinaris

Environmental and Human Rights Groups condemn decision as Mokihana sails out of the U.S. to India

 

The Basel Action Network (BAN) and the NGO Shipbreaking Platform today condemned Matson Shipping Lines for proceeding with the export of its former U.S.-flagged vessel MOKIHANA for scrapping at the notorious shipbreaking beaches of Alang, India. This last voyage is a blatant reversal of Matson’s policy established together with BAN and the NGO Shipbreaking Platform in 2015 (1) to avoid beach-based ship dismantling, and represents a serious affront to the company’s stated ESG commitments.

 

The vessel has now been reflagged to St. Kitts and Nevis, a flag of convenience commonly used for end-of-life ships headed for scrapping, and renamed MOKHIA. According to publicly available vessel tracking data, the ship is listed as en route to Bhavnagar, India, the port serving the Alang shipbreaking yards.

 

As of 2 February 2026 at 14:42 UTC, the vessel was reported to be operating under its own power in the Pacific Ocean, at approximately 23.98° N latitude and 149.61° E longitude, with an estimated arrival in Bhavnagar on 25 February 2026.

"This sequence of actions - reflagging, renaming, and dispatching the vessel to the Alang region - is a regrettable retreat from corporate responsibility and appropriate end-of-life ship management policy. It directly contradicts Matson’s prior public commitments to avoid beach-based shipbreaking and is a violation of the Basel Convention, calling into question the credibility of Matson’s ESG commitments."
Jim Puckett - Founder and Chief of Strategic Direction - BAN

In 2015, Matson publicly committed to ending the use of South Asian tidal beaches for shipbreaking, following international criticism of the environmental and human-health impacts of the practice. The decision to send MOKHIA to Bhavnagar marks a clear policy reversal, returning to the very practices Matson once pledged to abandon.

 

In a letter to BAN and the NGO Platform, Ms. Rachel Lee, the company’s Vice President of Sustainability and Governance, cited exporting to a beaching facility that supposedly adheres to the Hong Kong Convention as a rationalization for the export. However, in India no shipbreaking yards have so far been authorized under the Hong Kong Convention. Moreover, the Hong Kong Convention does not regulate transboundary waste movements, a gap long criticized by environmental and labor organizations, while the Basel Convention explicitly governs such exports and forbids trade between Parties like India and non-Parties like the United States. Under the Basel Convention, end-of-life vessels containing any forms of hazardous materials are considered hazardous waste, and their export is strictly controlled and in this case, prohibited.

"Beaching remains the most dangerous and polluting form of ship disposal in the world. But companies continue to make use of the beaching yards because this practice offers significantly lower costs than safe, contained recycling alternatives, often through the exploitation of desperate and vulnerable labor forces (2). Changing the name of the ship and its flag does not change the environmental reality on the ground, or the lack of corporate responsibility for sending it there.”"
Ingvild Jenssen - Founder and Executive Director - NGO Shipbreaking Platform

BAN and the NGO Shipbreaking Platform emphasize that the dismantling of end-of-life ships on tidal mudflats externalizes toxic risks onto workers and coastal communities, exposing them to hazardous substances such as asbestos, heavy metals and oil residues, and undermines global efforts to promote safe, contained, and truly sustainable ship recycling.

"This is not responsible recycling. It is a retreat from leadership, and a direct contradiction of Matson’s own ESG narrative."
Jim Puckett - Founder and Chief of Strategic Direction - BAN

The organizations are calling on regulators, investors, and customers to scrutinize Matson’s actions closely and to demand that the company immediately recommit to abiding by the Basel Convention, as well as to only utilize off-the-beach, fully contained ship recycling methods, and protecting the human rights of the world’s most vulnerable laborers.

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.