A part of Watch Media

ShippingWatchMonday6 February 2023

  • Search
  • Log in
  • Carriers
  • Logistics
  • Regulation
  • Suppliers
  • Search
  • Log in
  • Latest
  • Search
  • Log in
  • Carriers
  • Logistics
  • Regulation
  • Suppliers
  • Offshore
  • Ports
05/07/2013at 12:55

They said no to more responsible scrapping

Four countries voted no when the EU countries' ambassadors had to decide on the proposal regarding more responsible scrapping and the prevention of beaching. Three countries opted not to vote at all, sources tell ShippingWatch.
Photo: IMO
BY KATRINE GRØNVALD RAUN

Not all European countries were equally excited about approving the agreement regarding increased responsibility in ship scrapping. An agreement that will, among other things, help prevent beaching, in which ships are scrapped on the beaches of South Asia under highly questionable environmental and working conditions. In fact, the agreement almost wasn't approved at all when it was up for a vote in Brussels last week.

Do you want to be kept up to date with the latest developments in Danish and International shipping? Subscribe to our newsletter – first 40 days are free

Four countries voted against it, while three countries abstained from voting, an act that counts as a negative vote. If just one more medium-sized country had "gone the wrong way," as a source says, there would not have been a majority in favor of the proposal. According to ShippingWatch's information, Cyprus, Malta, Bulgaria, and Estonia voted against the proposal, and that wasn't a big surprise, according to sources.

Flag states

Cyprus and Malta both have a massive interest in maintaining the European fleet, as many shipowners have ships sailing under those flags. During the many negotiations concerning the agreement, several parties voiced concerns that the regulations would lead many shipowners to outflag their ships in order to avoid the increased requirements for scrapping. Something that most likely resulted in Cyprus and Malta voting against the proposal, sources say.

NGO fears outflagging in response to scrapping rules

The big surprise, however, was Hungary, which declined to vote. The country has no ships, ports, or any major interests in shipping.

"No one knows why. They have zero interests, they never showed any concerns about the agreement, but in the end they chose not to vote," a source close to the proceedings tells ShippingWatch.

Green image failed to show

The great shipping nation of Germany also declined to vote, allegedly because transportation and environmental ministries disagreed on the matter. The environmental ministry wanted to vote yes while the transportation ministry wanted to vote against the proposal, which ultimately meant that the country opted not to vote. This came as a suprise to most, largely due to Germany's green image and the country's large number of shipowners.

Now the Parliament and the Council of Ministers have to officially approve the agreement, after which the European Commission has to establish a so-called positive list of approved scrapping facilities in and outside of the EU. The Commission has three to five years to get the job done, which means that the scrapping requirements look set to become effective in 2018, at the latest.

NGO doesn't believe in the agreement

Several NGOs have criticized the agreement for not being ambitious enough. Especially because the agreement was approved without including a financial mechanism. The idea of a so-called scrapping fund, where all ships calling in European ports would have to pay a special tariff, was voted down by the Parliament. The money from the fund would have helped finance European carriers' future scrapping at approved facilities, which will be more expensive than the criticized scrapping in Southeast Asia.

Additionally, the NGOs fear that the new agreement will exclude ships from the Basel convention, which regulates transportation of dangerous waste. According to Sustainable Shipping, they warn that "there are clear and convincing legal perspectives proving that this one-sided exemption of ships is a violation of the EU legal obligations relating to the Basel convention and its Basel Ban Amendment (a ban against exporting dangerous waste from the 29 richest countries in the OECD)."

Head of the NGO Shipbreaking Platform, which recently published a list of countries that have scrapped ships on the beaches of Southeast Asia, says:

"Not only do the EU institutions create a legal dilemma for themselves, but also for all of the 27 European Member States that are parties to the Basel Convention. All will have to reconcile the illegality of unilaterally acting in non-compliance with their international obligations," she says, according to Sustainable Shipping, adding:

“We are concerned that the shortcomings of the regulation will make it ineffective and worse still, that the EU could be setting a dangerous precedent for other industries that want to avoid being held accountable to international environmental laws."

Do you want to be kept up to date with the latest developments in Danish and International shipping? Subscribe to our newsletter – first 40 days are free

"It's time for the EU to ratify the Hong Kong convention"

Why EU scrapping rules became a compromise

European shipowners will now have to scrap ships responsibly 

Related articles:

  • Photo: IMO

    NGO fears outflagging in response to scrapping rules

    For subscribers

  • Photo: IMO

    "It's time for the EU to ratify the Hong Kong convention"

    For subscribers

  • Photo: IMO

    Why EU scrapping rules became a compromise

    For subscribers

Sign up for our newsletter

Stay ahead of development by receiving our newsletter on the latest sector knowledge.

!
Newsletter terms

Front page now

Foto: Scan Global
Logistics

Scan Global Logistics sold to private equity firm

Freight forwarder Scan Global Logistics gets a new owner only six months after the company decided to postpone sales plans.
  • Scan Global confirms possible change of ownership
  • Scan Global Logistics postpones planned change of ownership: "We are in no rush"

For subscribers

Palle Laursen has spent almost his entire career at Maersk where he began as a maritime engineer in 1998. He now retires as chief of fleet. | Foto: Maersk
Container

Maersk's chief of fleet leaves after 25 years as reshuffling continues

For subscribers

Danish Scan Global has since 2016 been owned by US private equity firm AEA Investors. | Foto: Pr / Scan Global Logistics
Logistics

Scan Global confirms possible change of ownership

For subscribers

Lars Jensen is a shipping analyst and founder of consultancy Vespucci Maritime. In the future, he will write two opinion pieces for ShippingWatch a month. | Foto: Magnus Møller
Container

Opinion: Maersk and MSC heading for direct confrontation over customers

For subscribers

Foto: Uncredited/AP/Ritzau Scanpix
Tanker

New Russia sanctions could eventually leave Europe in drastic need of diesel

For subscribers

"Vi har nogle gange haft ry for at have et kortere aftræk end vores konkurrenter. Du kan godt regne med, at det ry vil vi gerne holde fast i," siger Jens Lund, driftsdirektør i DSV. | Foto: DSV
Logistics

DSV denies savings plan but is attentive to costs

For subscribers

Further reading

Foto: Staff/Reuters/Ritzau Scanpix
Logistics

DSV sees one advantage of downturn: It will be cheaper to buy competitors

Acquisitions are decisive for growth at logistics group DSV, and with prospects of declining freight volumes, the prices of acquisitions will fall. DSV will use this to its advantage, according to CEO Jens Bjørn Andersen.

For subscribers

Palle Laursen has spent almost his entire career at Maersk where he began as a maritime engineer in 1998. He now retires as chief of fleet. | Foto: Maersk
Container

Maersk's chief of fleet leaves after 25 years as reshuffling continues

Palle Laursen leaves Maersk after 25 years in the company. Another leader is also out the door, as Vincent Clerc continues to put his stamp on the shipping giant.

For subscribers

Foto: Uncredited/AP/Ritzau Scanpix
Tanker

New Russia sanctions could eventually leave Europe in drastic need of diesel

It will be difficult to replace the existing supply of Russian oil products when new EU sanctions come into force on Sunday, according to one broker. Hafnia predicts a strong market.

For subscribers

Latest news

  • Scan Global Logistics sold to private equity firm – 08:50
  • Scan Global confirms possible change of ownership – 08:09
  • Freight rates out of China continue to plummet – 3 Feb
  • Ziton wins multi-year deal with German utility – 3 Feb
  • Euronav CEO defends decision to retain large dividend – 3 Feb
  • DSV denies savings plan but is attentive to costs – 3 Feb
  • DP World to construct large port terminal in India – 3 Feb
  • Maersk's chief of fleet leaves after 25 years as reshuffling continues – 3 Feb
  • Clarksons banks on offshore wind with new US office – 3 Feb
  • Opinion: Maersk and MSC heading for direct confrontation over customers – 3 Feb
See all

Jobs

  • Copenhagen Shipping Company is hiring a skilled cargo broker

  • Vessel Manager Marine and QA

  • Ambitious employee for Shipping office wanted

  • Fleet Manager

  • Senior Lead, Human Sustainability at Sea

  • Foundation Package Manager - Offshore wind industry

  • Chartering Manager for Lauritzen Bulkers A/S

  • Senior Financial Controller

Jobs

  • Copenhagen Shipping Company is hiring a skilled cargo broker

  • Vessel Manager Marine and QA

  • Ambitious employee for Shipping office wanted

  • Fleet Manager

  • Senior Lead, Human Sustainability at Sea

  • Foundation Package Manager - Offshore wind industry

  • Chartering Manager for Lauritzen Bulkers A/S

  • Senior Financial Controller

See all jobs

Colophon

ShippingWatch
Search

Sections

  • Carriers
  • Logistics
  • Regulation
  • Suppliers
  • Offshore
  • Ports
  • Sitemap
  • RSS feeds

Editor

Tomas Kristiansen

tk@shippingwatch.dk

Tel.: +45 3330 8360

  • About ShippingWatch

Editor-in-chief

Anders Heering

Publisher

JP/Politiken Media Group Ltd

Advertising

annoncering@infowatch.dk

Tel.: +45 7077 7445

Advertising

Job Advertising

job@infowatch.dk

Tel.: +45 7077 7445

Jobs

Subscription

Try ShippingWatch or get an offer for a subscription meeting the exact needs of you or your company.

shippingwatch@infowatch.dk

Tel.: +45 7077 7445

Learn more about subscriptions here

Address

ShippingWatch

Rådhuspladsen 37

1785 Copenhagen K, Denmark

Tel.: +45 3330 8360

Guidelines

  • Privacy Policy

Copyright © ShippingWatch — All rights reserved

Microsoft is in the process of discontinuing Internet Explorer – and so are we.
For a better experience, we recommend using one of the following browsers.

Kind regards,
ShippingWatch

Google ChromeMozilla FirefoxMicrosoft Edge