ECSA backs lifting ‘Basel Ban’ on EU shipments

The proposed amendment on EU waste shipment regulations has been backed by the European Community Shipowners’ Associations (ECSA), the largest shipowner body in Europe, to clarify the legal position on recycling.

Effectively, the amendment would mean EU-flagged ships could now be recycled at non-OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development) shipbreaking facilities in South Asia.

This is currently prohibited under the Basel Convention on transboundary shipments of hazardous waste, which has become the EU Ship Recycling Regulation (EUSRR), requiring EU-flagged ships to be recycled only at yards on an approved list.

It has resulted in some shipowners circumventing what has become known as the ‘Basel Ban’ by switching to flags of convenience before selling ships for recycling to take advantage of higher steel ;prices at South Asian yards, despite the environmental pollution and accidents caused by unsafe practices at some of these facilities.

The yards would still have to be on the EU-approved list, which means the amendment would mean stricter rules on exports of hazardous waste to non-OECD countries, which would have to be audited to get on the list.

However it removes the OECD membership requirement, so EU-flagged ships could now be sold for scrap outside the bloc.

“The proposal addresses the legal uncertainty of whether non-OECD recycling facilities could ever be included on the EU list, even if they comply with the EUSRR, given the inclusion in the latter of the Basel Ban Amendment in 2019 that bars exports of hazardous waste to developing countries,” says the ECSA.

Singaporean consultancy Sea Sentinels said the proposal would be a good move.

“In the absence of a globally enforced recycling regulation, this is an important step to incentivise continued improvements in health, safety and environmental standards at these yards,” chief executive Rakesh Bhargava said.

“It is vital that facilities seeking to achieve EUSRR compliance can be included in the EU list as these can provide the necessary capacity for sustainable recycling of larger EU-flagged ships for which there is little capacity available at existing yards on the list. This would also enable South Asian yards to compete on a level playing field.”

The ECSA represents 19 national shipowner associations in the EU and Norway, which control almost 40% of global commercial tonnage.