Shipbreaking Platform, a coalition that
brings together NGOs fighting against the dismantling of ships in conditions
that do not respect workers’ rights or environmental rules, has published a
list of European companies which sent old ships “to the infamous scrap beaches
of South Asia” in 2011.
The coalition publishes this list every year in
order to raise awareness of the poor environmental and working conditions that
surround this practise. The 2011 list includes companies from 20 European
countries, which have sold their old ships to breaking yards in South Asia (India , Pakistan ,
and Bangladesh
These countries are –
“The vast majority of European shipping companies
continue to avoid the costs of proper disposal by selling their ships to South
Asian breaking yards known for their lack of enforcement of environmental and
labour laws, exposing some of the poorest communities to extremely dangerous
working conditions and severe pollution,” says the coalition, which also highlights
the frequent use of flags of convenience – including flags from Panama, Liberia
and the Bahamas – which allow unscrupulous ship-owners to avoid taxation,
security regulations and other social requirements concerning their workers.
The coalition is calling on the European Commission
to take action against the vast transfer of toxic waste, which takes place
every year between the EU and developing countries. The Commission has already
recognised the problem by publishing, in 2008, an ‘EU strategy for better ship
dismantling’ (COM(2008)767). Every year, between 400,000 and 1.3 million tonnes
of toxic products contained within old boats are exported from the EU to South Asia . EU legislation on the transfer of waste,
which forbids the exportation of dangerous waste from the EU to countries which
are not members of the OECD, is in this case insufficiently implemented.
“As nearly all ships contain considerable
quantities of hazardous materials like oils and oil sludge, asbestos, glass
wool, PCB, TBT, heavy metals in paints and others, those that go for scrapping
have to be regarded as hazardous waste,” the Commission said, in 2008. It will
present proposals aimed at ensuring better application of the regulation in the
first half of this year.
Source: Europolitics. By Isabelle Smets. 18 January 2012
