With the EU's adoption last year of new regulations for approved scrapping facilities, the first yards are now reporting to the EU Commission in order to secure the coveted approval.

The regulations stipulate that carriers operating EU-flagged vessels must use shipbreaking yards or facilities that feature on the coming list which the EU Commission is developing. The purpose of the list is to force EU-flagged vessels to be scrapped under decent conditions. The EU is tired of waiting for the IMO's Hong Kong convention, which is aimed at establishing global regulations in the field.