EU agrees on new rules to clean scrapping of old ships

A deal between European Parliament and Council negotiators was reached Thursday on plans to clean up the scrapping of old ships and ensure the materials are recycled in EU-approved facilities worldwide, noted an EP statement. The Council represents the 27 EU governments. "This new legislation finally puts an end to European ships being recklessly scrapped in developing countries. Currently, most EU ships are sent to South-East Asia at the end of their lives, where they are scrapped on a beach, under unacceptable conditions for human health and gross pollution of the environment," commented the EP rapporteur of the report, Carl Schlyter. "I want to stress that this is not an attack against India, Bangladesh or Pakistan - the countries that currently practice beaching - but against the dangerous and highly polluting practice of beaching," he noted. This regulation incentivizes these countries to make the necessary investments in proper ship recycling facilities, he said. The full European Parliament will now vote on the new rules before the summer recess.