The European Union's plans to expand the list of companies allowed to recycle ships have been sharply criticized by industry representatives and environmental organizations. NGOs, steel companies, ship recycling companies and trade unions opposed the inclusion of Indian companies Shree Ram and YSI Recyclers using the beaching method.
In an appeal sent to members of the European Commission Jessica Rosewall and Stefan Sejournay, it is said that this method of dismantling ships creates risks of environmental pollution, as well as endangers the safety of workers and the conditions of competition. The signatories called for the withdrawal of the proposal to include these enterprises in the list of approved facilities.
At the shipyards of Shree Ram and YSI Recyclers, as well as at other sites in India, ships are dismantled directly on tidal mudflats. The authors of the letter remind that this method is not used in the EU Member States and, in their opinion, does not comply with the requirements of Article 13 (1) of the EU Regulation on Ship Recycling.
According to the rules, all polluting emissions during disassembly must be controlled, and work must be carried out on impermeable surfaces. Interested parties believe that it is impossible to ensure such control during dismantling in the tidal zone.
A separate section of the letter is devoted to environmental and toxicological studies conducted in Alang Sosia and other coastal areas. According to the authors of the appeal, pollution of soil, coastal waters, bottom sediments and marine ecosystems related to the dismantling of ships on beaches is recorded in them.
As an additional example, a major fuel oil spill at a nearby shipyard on the coast of Gujarat is mentioned. According to reports, the incident led to the contamination of a vast area and showed how difficult it is to contain the spread of harmful substances during such work.
The statement also says that ship recycling facilities in Alang Sosia are exempt from environmental assessment and notification requirements under Indian coastal Zone regulatory legislation. In addition, it is allegedly allowed to sell recycled materials containing asbestos for reuse.
The signatories acknowledge that individual companies can assume obligations that go beyond national legislation, but emphasize that without strict public oversight and full-fledged environmental management, it is unclear how compliance with EU standards can be guaranteed.
The letter also states that the supervisory authority responsible for Shree Ram and YSI Recyclers is facing staff shortages, limited technical capabilities, insufficient monitoring, and selection problems.
