Eight international shipping associations are calling on EU Member States to include two Indian ship recycling yards on the European list of approved recycling facilities.
BIMCO, CLIA, the European Community Shipowners’ Association (ECSA), the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), Intercargo, Interferry, Internako and the World Shipping Council (WSC) have addressed an open letter to the European Union’s environment and transport ministers. In it, they express their support for a proposal by the European Commission to include two Indian recycling facilities on the European List of Ship Recycling Facilities.
According to the associations, the shipyards in question have invested significantly in infrastructure, health and safety, and environmental management in recent years. They meet both the requirements of the Hong Kong Convention on Safe and Environmentally Sound Ship Recycling and the provisions of the EU Ship Recycling Regulation (EU SRR). This is evident from published inspection reports.
The signatories argue that the decision on inclusion must therefore be made solely on the basis of the safety and environmental requirements of the EU regulation. In their view, rejecting facilities that meet these criteria would undermine the credibility of European regulation.
Associations foresee rising demand for capacity
At the same time, the associations point to a future increase in demand for recycling capacity. According to industry forecasts, the number of ships reaching the end of their economic service life is likely to rise significantly in the coming years. The inclusion of additional certified shipyards could therefore help to ensure that sufficient, compliant capacity is available.
The letter also states that the EU’s maritime industry strategy aims to expand recycling capacity within Europe whilst creating internationally comparable competitive conditions.
The associations are therefore calling on Member States to base their decision on the requirements of the EU SRR and the available inspection results. In their view, recycling shipyards outside the OECD should also be granted access to the EU list, provided they can demonstrate compliance with European safety and environmental standards.
