European shipowners are routinely side stepping the European Union’s Ship Recycling Regulation (SRR) by flagging out and demolishing ships at beaching yards in South Asia, several experts said Wednesday.
The issue of low compliance comes as a blow to a regulation that was intended to ensure European shipowners only scrapped vessels to the highest standards.
Mandatory regulation
The EU SRR became mandatory a year ago and forces shipowners to demolish European flag end of life ships only at EU approved yards nearly all of which are located in Europe.
Speaking at the TradeWinds Ship Recycling Forum, GMS non-executive director and recycling consultant Nikos Mikelis said that only four vessels have been demolished last year in Turkey under the regulation. The low number suggests widespread non compliance.
Dimitri Ayvatoglu, head of business development at Turkey’s Leyal Shipbreaking group, said the confusing regulatory picture in Europe is allowing shipowners to avoid compliance.
Within Europe, SRR, the Basel Convention and the EU’s Waste Export regulation could all be applied to shipping in different ways, he pointed out.
“There is plenty of room for ships to fly under the radar between regulations,” Ayvatoglu said.
He also explained that the shipping industry is still adapting to the new SRR regulation. He said there is still uncertainty over scope of the survey required for the so-called Ready for Recycling Certificate and who should carry out the final approval of the recycling plan.
“It is still a learning process for classification societies,” he said.
Safety shortcomings
Elin Saltkjel, head of quality assurance at Grieg Green said that it has found safety shortcomings even at EU approved recycling yards.
“There are problems with both EU approved and non approved yards,” said the executive, whose company assists owners in recycling ships to a high environmental and safe standard.
“In the end it comes down to the management of each specific yard.”
But Peter Koller, policy officer at the European Commission’s DG Environment, said he is taking steps to tighten up on the enforcement of the SRR.
“We are making specific provisions for enforcement measures and a lot of effort is being put into making sure procedures are complied with,” he said.
