The recent proposal of the European Commission (EC) to
legalise export of hazardous end-of-life ships to developing countries is
attracting increasing opposition from far and wide.
While Indian shipbreakers have expressed their strong
reservations and opposition to the proposed regulations, environmental groups
across the world are getting more vocal denouncing it. Recently, they wrote to
the Brussels-based Environment attaches of all 27 Member States of the European
Union (EU) against going ahead with the legislation.
"This practice has been forbidden in Europe since
January of 1997. By unilaterally seeking to exempt most ships from the EU Waste
Shipment regulation , the Commission would break with the EU law that
implements the international treaty known as the Basel Convention and its
Amendment which bans hazardous waste exports to the world's poorest countries,
says NGO Shipbreaking Platform.
"The proposal is both profoundly immoral and
illegal," said Roberto Ferrigno of the NGO Shipbreaking Platform.
"And yet it does not appear that the Commission understands the gravity of
this action. This proposal will render European governments powerless in
preventing exports of asbestos and PCB laden ships from being sent to
developing countries and putting vulnerable workers at risk in contravention of
our own treaty obligations . We are calling on the EU, which has the capacity
to recycle ships safely and cleanly, to respect its laws and create good
shipyard jobs at home."
Renouncing the proposal , Iron Steel Scrap & Shipbreakers'
Association of India (ISSAI) wrote to the Commission as well as to Indian
authorities in shipping and steel ministries etc that 'India should strongly
oppose the proposed EU Regulations on export of ships for recycling...'
"Our permanent stand is that all hazardous waste which are not required
for the final voyage should be removed before sending ships for recycling as we
cannot accept dumping of hazardous waste in the country. Instead of making
amendment to allow ships to be exported for recycling by removing hazardous
materials not required for final voyage, EU is only making a show by
introducing this article but the same loophole persists," the association
wrote in its reply.
"It is seen that EU accepts the fact that, at
present, most of the trade of ships for recycling is illegal under the
provisions of Regulation No.1013/2006". We wonder why those who have
flouted the regulation have not been penalized.
"The solution lies in the amendment of the
regulation and its strict implementation by EU nations on its citizens. In
their own admission, there is a loop hole in regulation 1013/2006 by which
either ships were sold to cash buyers , registered in tax haven countries and
then routed to ship recycling countries or sold under the pretext of trading purpose
and then diverted to ship recycling countries. Once the ship leaves EU waters,
they have no control over such ships. So, there was a need for EU to plug this
loop hole in regulation 1013 and bring their citizens/ship owners to operate
under the said regulation , rather than bringing in this new regulation,"
it wrote.
The Commission has justified their proposal by claiming
that the EU and developed countries lack adequate ship recycling capacity and
that, in any case, there is no way to prevent ships from simply reflagging
their ships to circumvent national laws.
Source: Economic Times. 15 October 2012
http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2012-10-15/news/34473316_1_eu-waters-ship-owners-iron-steel-scrap
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