Breaches of Environmental Laws
It is extremely easy for ship owners to circumvent or breach with impunity existing laws that aim at protecting vulnerable communities and the environment from the dumping of toxic waste.
At least seventeen ships de-registered from a European flag registry prior the last voyage to the breaking yards in order to circumvent the EU Ship Recycling Regulation, which demands the recycling of EU-flagged vessels only in approved facilities in Europe, Turkey and US.
Furthermore, at least nineteen vessels, as this map shows, were sold to beaching yards in breach of the EU Waste Shipment Regulation, which bans all exports of hazardous waste to non-OECD countries. Ship owners do not declare ships as destined for recycling. Instead, they often provide authorities of the exporting countries with false claims of further operational use or repair work in order to avoid being held accountable.
The number of vessels that European shipowners sold to the South Asian beaches is however much higher. Only if Europe, and other parts of the world, adopt a return scheme for all ships trading in their waters will end-of-life vessels effectively be diverted to safe and clean recycling yards.
Greece
Ship Name
ANTARES EXPERIENCE
Owner
Celestyal Cruises (Cyprus)
Ship Name
ELKA ELEFTHERIA
Owner
European Navigation Inc (Greece)
Owner
European Navigation Inc (Greece)
Owner
European Navigation Inc (Greece)
Owner
Ventouris Ferries (Greece)
Slovenia
Owner
Glorious Maritime Co SA (Turkey)