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European Commission Report Recommends ‘Ship Recycling License’
A brand new report by the European Commission recommends the introduction of a ship recycling license for all ships calling at EU ports as a type of monetary incentive geared toward stopping the observe of re-flagging end-of-life vessels in order that they are often disposed of at substandard shipbreaking yards.
The advice was rapidly rejected by the European Community Shipowners Association (ECSA) and the International Chamber of Shipping, which declare the license would undermine efforts by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to enhance working and environmental circumstances in growing nations, the place most ship recycling yards are positioned.
The report was written by Ecorys, classification society DNV-GL and the Erasmus University School of Law and revealed Wednesday.
Under the mannequin really useful, a ship recycling license would function the premise for the buildup of capital over the working lifetime of a ship, with the goal of protecting the income hole between utilizing substandard versus sustainable ship recycling amenities for finish of life ships. In different phrases, the capital quantity amassed in the course of the operational life of every vessel can be put aside in an EU fund and solely paid again to the final proprietor of the vessel as a premium if the ship is recycled in a sustainable facility permitted by the EU.
The 2013 EU Ship Recycling Regulation requires all vessels crusing below an EU flag to make use of an EU listing of permitted ship recycling amenities. However, NGOs argue {that a} main shortcoming of the regulation is that shipowners can circumvent the legislation by re-flagging a vessel to a non-EU flag, i.e. flag of comfort, so as to promote the vessels to a substandard yards in South Asia which might be in any other case banned below the legislation.
The mechanism really useful within the Commission’s report can be linked to the ship quite than its proprietor, so as to enable possession adjustments throughout its working life.
“EU shipping companies should not circumvent EU environmental laws and not utilise practices that would never be allowed in Europe. EU flag-neutral measures which apply equally to all ships calling at EU ports are necessary to increase environmental protection” says Sotiris Raptis, delivery and aviation officer at Transport and Environment.
An vital factor to notice is that the report was merely revealed by the European Commission and doesn’t essentially replicate the opinion of the Commission.
“We call on the European Commission to follow-up this report with a legislative proposal,” says Stephane Arditi, Products & Waste Policy Manager of the European Environmental Bureau. “The effective implementation of European environmental policies has been dependent on making the ‘polluter pay’. If the EU is serious about its commitment to sustainable ship recycling, all ship owners trading in Europe need to be held financially liable.”
But shipowners don’t see it that manner and stay dedicated to the implementation of the IMO Hong Kong Convention.