European Policy
Further to the implementation of the Basel Convention, the 27 European Member States also need to abide by the rules described in the European Waste Shipment Regulation. The Waste Shipment Regulation is applicable to toxic end-of-life vessels and forbids the export of such ships from Europe to non-OECD countries.
European Union
At the European level, the European Waste Shipment Regulation (EC) No 1013/2006 prohibits the export of hazardous waste, including ships, from the European Union to non-OECD countries.
Former Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas announced in April 2006 that the European Union has an important role to play in finding solutions for responsible ship recycling. Since then the European Commission has published a Green Paper and a Strategy on the issue – both followed by extensive consultation rounds where Members States, industry and NGOs including the Platform have submitted their comments. The European Parliament has urged the Commission to act. The Commission is now expected to publish legislative proposals in March 2012.
For more information see:
>> European Commission website on ship dismantling
>> Platform proposals for a better ship dismantling policy at the European level
>> European Parliament Resolutions
What the Platform is doing
The Platform’s objective is that the EU adopts strong legislation delivering promise of concrete action to change the current shipbreaking practices and reverse the trend where end-of-life vessels are the largest stream of hazardous materials exported from Europe to developing countries.
This includes incentives for a shift from breaking end-of-life vessels on tidal beaches to dismantling operations where containment of hazardous materials and safe working conditions can be ensured; proper implementation of polluter pays and producer responsibility principles; a policy that does not undermine existing precautionary restrictions on transboundary movements of hazardous waste; and a commitment to action that will safeguard the effective implementation of The Waste Shipment Regulation.
Based in Brussels, the Platform participates to numerous workshops and stakeholders consultations on the shipbreaking issue and seeks support for its demands from the European Commission and Members of the European Parliament. The Platform has also hosted two events at the European Parliament, both attended by the European Environment Commissioner. Every year the Platform publishes a listing of European companies that have sold toxic ships to the beaches of South Asia.
Member States
Also ships owned by European companies end up on the breaking beaches of South Asia. Litigations and verdicts, initiated by Platform member organisations or on the basis of Platform alerts, has however obliged several ship owners to dismantle their ships in line with the European Waste Shipment Regulation.
In 2006, France had to repatriate the ex-aircraft carrier Clémenceau from India.
In 2007 the UK adopted a national policy on ship dismantling. France adopted a strategy that same year.
For more information see:
>>Clémenceau’s story
>>European countries that sent their ships to South Asia in 2011
>>European countries that sent their ships to South Asia in 2010
>> UK Ship Recycling Strategy
>> French report of the Inter-ministerial mission on ship dismantling
European Policy on ship dismantling on Dipity
Media Alert – NGO releases 2011 list of top EU companies sending toxic ships to South Asia
NGO RELEASES LIST OF EU TOXIC SHIPS SENT TO SOUTH ASIA IN 2011 The NGO Shipbreaking Platform calls on the EU Commission to act and prevent toxic waste trade of European end-of-life ships Brussels, 16 January 2012 – The NGO Shipbreaking Platform, a… More
Platform board members meet in Norway, launch exhibit
The board members of the Platform and staff met in Oslo, Norway from May 11 to May 15. An exhibition featuring pictures of shipbreaking yards taken in Chittagong, Bangladesh, by Bangladeshi photographer Saiful Huq Omi was featured at DogA, an architecture and design venue,… More
Environmental NGO calls on Norway to reform its shipbreaking aid package for Bangladesh
A six-million-dollar aid package from the Norwegian development agency NORAD was criticised by the NGO Shipbreaking Platform, a coalition of international expert organisations on environment, labor and development issues. The Platform met with NORAD on May 12 in Oslo and voiced concern that unless… More
New Off The Beach website launched!
Log on to our new websitehttp://www.offthebeach.org/ and sign our petition to help us get shipbreaking off the beach! You can also download our Off the Beach! report, follow the activities of the NGO Shipbreaking Platform on social media and learn about the four fatal… More
NGOs call on Environment Commissioner Janez Potočnik to fix “broken” shipbreaking legislation
On Tuesday, February 8th 2011, the European Union Commissioner for Environment, Janez Potočnik, gave a keynote speech at the launch of the BROKEN photo exhibition organised by the NGO Shipbreaking Platform and hosted by The Centre. The exhibition features photographs by Saiful Huq Omi,… More
