Brussels, 19/04/2013 (Agence Europe) - The European Parliament wants to end the scrapping of old ships anywhere other than in EU-approved facilities that are safe for workers and ecologically sound. Nonetheless, MEPs did not endorse the idea of a recycling fund financed by a levy imposed on any ship using an EU port. After giving its stance in Strasbourg, on Thursday 18 April, on the proposal to revise the EU regulation on the dismantling of ships as proposed by the Commission one year ago (see EUROPE 10581), the Parliament not only upheld the Commission's proposal by a large majority but considerably strengthened it (317 votes to 284, with 10 abstentions), while rejecting by a slim majority (292 for to 299 against) the amendment aimed at creating a demolition fund financed by a recycling level. This had been backed by the parliamentary committee on the environment in line with the report by Carl Schlyter (Greens/EFA, Sweden). The EPP Group in particular prevented this innovation, to the great disappointment of the rapporteur and the environmental NGOs.
Schlyter said that, while the European Parliament had voted to put an end to the unsafe dismantling of ships in developing countries, this step forward was now under threat from its inability to agree on cash to support it, which he described as highly frustrating. He accused a slender minority of giving in to deceitful lobbying from the shipping industry that is trying to wriggle out of its responsibilities because the financial mechanisms would have made recycling competitive.
The European Parliament did as its rapporteur recommended and asked member states to ensure that an inventory is drawn up of all dangerous substances on board every ship in the EU. Non-EU ships entering a port or an anchorage of a member state must also have a hazardous materials inventory on board. If an inspection reveals that a ship does not have the said inventory, penalties can be issued.
Environmental, human rights and workers' organisations under the Shipbreaking Platform umbrella immediately slammed the vote as irresponsible because it is only putting off the inevitable. They point out that the Commission and EP had said in the past that a special fund was urgently needed and the idea of the fund has been discussed at EU level for a full 15 years. Shipbreaking Platform says the EP has failed to respect its own principles and failed to turn its promises into action and, last year, one European ship was sent every day to South Asia to be broken up on beaches despite the safety rules to the contrary. The organisation says the EU must now take action if it really wants ship-owners to be held accountable for their actions. (AN/transl.fl)