Dangerous steps re ship recycling, could legalize export of toxic waste to developing countries
The NGO Shipbreaking Platform, a global coalition of human rights, labour rights and environmental organisations, is applauding progressive EU governments, amongst whom Germany, Finland, the Netherlands, Denmark, Italy, Ireland, Estonia, and Sweden, for supporting today the existing ban on the export of end-of-life ships containing hazardous wastes to developing countries.
During an EU Environment Council meeting in Luxembourg, EU Member States were split when debating a proposal by the Cyprus presidency of the European Union to heavily water down the European Commission’s proposal for a regulation on ship recycling.
In its current form, the Commission proposal could effectively legalize the export of end-of-life ships containing hazardous wastes from the EU to developing countries, a proposal deemed appropriate by not only Cyprus, but also several other European governments.
“We call on the Environment Council and EU governments supporting the Cyprus position to be sensible,” said Patrizia Heidegger, Executive Director of the NGO Shipbreaking Platform. “The Commission proposal in its current form cannot, and will not pass the test of effectively preventing hazardous wastes from being dumped in developing countries.”
Last July the European Economic and Social Committee said the Commission proposal is “weak and full of legal loopholes”, and concluded that “the political will [to solve the problem] is manifestly absent”.
The ban on the export of end-of-life ships containing hazardous wastes was implemented into European law with the 2006 Waste Shipment Regulation. Since then, it’s illegal for any ship to leave any EU port for a shipbreaking destination located in non-OECD countries.
In 2006, the French aircraft carrier “Le Clémenceau” was brought back to Europe after it was proved that the ship would be beached in India and the hazardous materials it contained would pollute the land and harm local communities.
But today at the Council meeting, most Environment ministers seemed ready to rid the EU of the Waste Shipment Regulation’s competency over ships, claiming the current ban is too easily circumvented by shipowners.
“Realizing that EU Member States have failed to adequately enforce the existing EU regulation on waste shipments, the Council seems ready to circumvent this regulation altogether, rather than to give Member States proper enforcement mechanisms,” said Patrizia Heidegger.
Every year, about 1,000 ships are sent for breaking so that their steel and some of their contents can be recycled. Most of the ships contain hazardous materials such as asbestos, mineral oil, PCBs, mercury, etc.
More than 200 European ships were sent for breaking on the beaches of South Asia in 2011, and the number of ships to be broken in 2012 is expected to beat all records. Meanwhile, too little is known about the amounts of wastes piling up on the shores and sickening the workers and nearby communities.
Source: NGO Shipbreaking Platform