Several European organisations are calling for a clear ban of beaching and landing methods for shipbreaking and the guarantee of a real level playing field for the ship recycling sector.
The call is led by non-governmental organisation (NGO) Shipbreaking Platform, a global coalition of organisations working to reverse the environmental harm and human rights abuses caused by current shipbreaking practices. In its appeal, it has been joined by industry federations Eurofer and Recycling Europe.
The three groups already voiced a call in December to the European Commission to boost ship recycling capacity in the EU, which would complement the Commission’s initiative to review the guidelines for ship recycling yards in third countries.
To guarantee a level playing field for recyclers in and outside the EU, the groups demand a clear ban on beaching and landing as dismantling methods, and to only authorise facilities with full containment. They also demand that dismantlers be obliged to acquire authorisations and permits needed for inclusion in the European list in line with the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA).
The NGO in this context points at Turkey, namely yards located in Aliağa. The country’s shipbreaking sector is exempt from the Environmental Permit and Licence Regulation and EIA procedures, it notes.
“Together with Turkish civil society organisations, we reiterate the call to remove Turkish facilities from the EU List until necessary improvements are properly implemented,” Kallanish reads in the joint statement.
The situation as it is now “undermines the very objective of the List to act as the role model for best practices for the ship recycling sector,” the signees say.
