From: Maritime and
Coastguard Agency
Published: 21 July 2017
This consultation closes at 11:45pm
on 15 September 2017
Summary
Maritime and Coastguard
Agency’s proposals for implementing an effective enforcement regime for the EU
Ship Recycling Regulation through the proposed Ship Recycling (Requirements in
relation to Hazardous Materials on Ships) Regulations 2017.
Consultation
description:
The dismantling of ships is,
at present, sustainable from a narrow economic point of view but the costs to
human health and the environment are high. Obsolete ships are often sold to
facilities on tidal beaches and under unacceptable conditions from the point of
view of safety and environmental protection. Existing EU legislation prohibits
ships from being recycled in facilities in non-OECD countries (Organisation for
Economic Co-operation and Development) – preventing UK flagged vessels from
using suitable yards and securing a reasonable financial return. However, there
is widespread non-compliance of the existing regulations, with many shipowners
electing to reflag their ship to a non-EU company just before the ship’s end of
life. Additionally, the limitation of approved recycling facilities to just
OECD countries means there is insufficient recycling capacity to meet demand.
Government intervention is required to ensure that sufficient numbers of
approved recycling facilities are available for UK flagged ships, and to
discourage evasion by ships using sub-standard dismantling facilities.
EU Regulation No. 1257/2013
(the “EU Ship Recycling Regulation”) provides ship owners more flexibility in
terms of locations to recycle ships, allowing them to be processed in any
approved facility that meets certain minimum standards (regardless of whether
they are in the OECD or not). They also include other measures to improve
compliance by attempting to reduce the cost differential between compliance and
non-compliance. In the longer term, the aim is to reduce significantly and in a
sustainable way, the negative impacts of ship dismantling – on human health and
the environment – without creating unnecessary economic burdens.
The EU Ship Recycling
Regulation is based on the Hong Kong Convention for the Safe and
Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships, and is expected to enter into force
at the end of 2017. The purpose of the Hong Kong Convention is to address
concerns about safety, health, and environmental damage in the ship recycling
industry by regulating the whole lifecycle of the vessel. Although the
Convention was adopted in May 2009 it is unlikely to come into force before
2020. The EU Regulation is intended to put member States in a position to
comply with the Hong Kong Convention before this date. As the EU Regulation has
direct application, the purpose of this SI is to support the EU Regulation by
designating responsibility for the carrying out of certain functions and
providing enforcement powers.
Ship recycling consultation
letter
Ship recycling SI draft
Ship recycling RTA
Source: 21
July 2017
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