NGO Shipbreaking Platform pushes the EU for sustainable ship recycling

The NGO Shipbreaking Platform urges the EU to remove all Turkish yards using the landing method, continue excluding Indian beaching yards, and invest in recycling capacity aligned with circularity and decarbonization goals.

The European Commission has opened a consultation on the 15th update of the EU List of ship recycling facilities. According to NGO Shipbreaking Platform, while the removal of the Dörtel yard in Turkey, due to unsafe dismantling practices and lack of pollution containment, is welcomed, it is considered an insufficient response to widespread ongoing violations.

Serious safety and environmental concerns persist, including recent worker fatalities at EU-approved Turkish yards. The NGO warns that approving facilities outside the EU that would not meet EU standards creates a damaging double standard.

At the same time, no Indian yards have been added to the list, reflecting the EU’s rejection of beaching, a method that fails to contain pollutants and is banned or being phased out in multiple countries.

The Platform rejects claims that EU facilities lack capacity, arguing the real issue is a lack of ship supply, not technical limitations. With shipping companies posting record profits, the EU is urged to close legal loopholes, hold shipowners accountable, and expand EU recycling capacity to support green jobs, circular industries, and responsible ship recycling practices.

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 

… said Ingvild Jenssen, Executive Director and Founder, NGO Shipbreaking Platform.

source : safety4sea