Plans agreed with EU ministers to
end the scrapping of old EU-registered ships on third-country beaches and
ensure they are recycled in EU-approved facilities worldwide instead were
backed by the European Parliament on Tuesday. Beaching ships to scrap them
jeopardises workers' health, safety and the environment, say MEPs.
"I want to stress that this
is not an attack against India, Bangladesh or Pakistan - the countries that
currently practice beaching - but against the dangerous and highly polluting
practice of beaching itself, said Carl Schlyter (Greens/EFA, SE), who steered
the legislation through Parliament. "This regulation incentivizes these
countries to make the necessary investments in proper ship recycling facilities
- above all for the sake of safe and environmentally-sound jobs in their
countries", he added.
An EU
list of ship-recycling facilities
In future, EU-registered ships
will have to be dismantled in EU-approved ship recycling facilities which must
fulfil specific requirements, be certified and be regularly inspected.
During the negotiations,
Parliament strengthened the proposed requirements, inter alia by obliging
ship-recycling businesses to operate in built structures, which must be
"designed, constructed and be operated in a safe and environmentally sound
manner". They must hold in hazardous materials throughout the recycling
process and handle them and their waste only on impermeable floors with
effective drainage. Waste quantities will have to be documented, and their
treatment authorised only in waste treatment or recycling facilities
Non-EU ships, as well as EU ones,
will be covered by the regulation insofar as they will have to carry an
inventory of hazardous materials when calling at EU ports. Enforcement
measures, including penalties, are to be set by member states.
The Commission will have to
report on the feasibility of a financial instrument to facilitate safe and
sound ship recycling and, if appropriate, present a legislative proposal within
3 years of the entry into force of the regulation.
Next
steps
The regulation will apply to
ships at the earliest 2 years and at the latest 5 years after its entry into
force, the eventual date depending upon when the recycling capacity of
facilities on the EU list exceeds a threshold of 2.5 million light displacement
tonnes.
The provisions on ship-recycling
facilities will apply from 1 year after the regulation enters into force (i.e.
20 days after its publication).
The draft legislation was
approved by 591 votes to 47, with 32 abstentions.
Procedure: Co-decision (Ordinary
Legislative Procedure), 1st reading
REF. : 20131018IPR22630
Updated: ( 22-10-2013 - 13:18)
Source:
European Parliament. 22 October 2013
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