EU ship recycling regulation and capacity

A report by Shipbreaking Platform and Transport & Environment (T&E) indicates that between 2019 and 2025, only 5% of EU-owned and EU-flagged ship tonnage was recycled within Europe. Despite having the capacity to handle these vessels, the majority of the 706 ships dismantled during this period were processed in India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, or Turkey. The report highlights that 102 ships changed their EU flags to other jurisdictions just before dismantling to bypass stricter European regulations.

In response to the current recycling landscape, eight major international maritime organizations—including BIMCO, ICS, and the World Shipping Council—have issued a joint open letter to EU ministers. They are urging the European Commission to add two Indian ship recycling facilities to the European List of Ship Recycling Facilities. The organizations argue these facilities have made significant investments to meet the standards of the Hong Kong Convention and the EU Ship Recycling Regulation, noting that expanding the list is necessary to ensure sufficient compliant capacity as more vessels reach the end of their operational lives.