EU Parliament Committee Objects to Listing Two Alang Recycling Yards
The European Parliament’s Environment (ENVI) Committee in Brussels has voted by a large majority to back an objection against adding two ship recycling yards at Alang-Sosiya, in Gujarat on India’s west coast, to the EU List of approved ship recycling facilities. The vote took place on 4 November.
The two yards, Shree Ram Vessel Scrap and YSI Recyclers, were proposed by the European Commission for the 16th update of the EU List. They would have been the first yards in the Indian subcontinent to be approved under the EU Ship Recycling Regulation, which EU-flagged ships must follow when they are scrapped.
This is a follow-up to an earlier debate in which European shipowners urged lawmakers to support the listing. Objectors, including environmental groups, unions and some European recyclers, argue that beaching, the method used at Alang, does not meet the EU requirement for full containment of waste on impermeable floors. Supporters say the Alang yards have invested heavily in safety and environmental upgrades.
The NGO Shipbreaking Platform said the vote “sends a strong political message to the European Commission.” A plenary vote of the full Parliament is expected at the end of November. The objection is not binding, and EU member states will make the final decision.
Alang is one of the world’s largest ship recycling centres and employs thousands of workers. EU approval would bring more European ships to the yards. For seafarers, the outcome may decide where EU-flagged ships go on their final voyage, and the debate keeps attention on safe working conditions for the workers who dismantle them.
