New platform to boost EU ship recycling: ‘All hands on deck’

One of group’s key priorities is to limit the number of vessels leaving the EU at the end of their life. Chaired by Spain’s ship recycler Antonio Barredo, the Ship Recycling Working Group (ESGR) includes founding members Galloo (France), Smedegaarden and Fornaes (Denmark).

ESGR aims to address current barriers in ship recycling within the EU. ‘Although the EU Ship Recycling Regulation (SRR), implemented on 31 December 2018, was designed to ensure environmentally sound and safe ship recycling practices, challenges remain,’ says EuRIC.

Ship recycling is a key part of the maritime industry’s lifecycle management, focusing on the safe dismantling of end-of-life vessels while minimising environmental impact.

‘Our goal is to make ship recycling in the EU transparent, efficient, profitable and sustainable. We want to ensure that regulations are effective but not too burdensome, and that international actors play by the same rules,’ says group chair Barredo. ‘Let’s make a real impact’

‘The launch of the Ship Recycling Working Group is a major step forward in advocating environmentally sound dismantling of end-of-life-ships in Europe and beyond’, adds EuRIC secretary general Julia Ettinger.

‘We call on policymakers and stakeholders to join – because we need all hands on deck to make a real impact.’

ESGR’s key priorities: 1Creating a level playing field both within the EU and with third countries to ensure that all EU-listed yards adhere to the same standards and all EU-based yards fall under the scope of the EU legislation. This can prevent any non-compliance and ensure that all vessels are recycled only at approved yards or by listed companies. 2. Simplifying bureaucratic processes to speed up notification procedures and reduce administrative costs. 3. Expanding the regulation’s scope to cover all types of vessels, regardless of size, type, or flag, prioritising ownership and financial beneficiaries of the vessel rather than its flag state. 4. Strengthening control mechanisms to ensure proper certification of yards and penalise violations of the legislation and 5. Strengthening the ship recycling sector in the EU by limiting the number of vessels leaving the EU at the end of their life.