The European Union (EU) is under fire for approving numerous ship dismantling and recycling facilities that remain largely inactive while EU end-of-life vessels are scrapped in South Asia. Environmental organizations have intensified their criticism, particularly following the EU’s proposal to include Indian recyclers on its approved list. The NGO Shipbreaking Platform has been vocal in its condemnation of the EU’s decision to send ships for dismantling in South Asia when adequate domestic recycling capacity exists. In collaboration with the activist group Transport & Environment (T&E), they released a study indicating that the EU has recently expanded its ship recycling facilities.
Currently, the EU boasts 30 yards with a combined capacity of around 1.3 million light displacement tonnes (LDT). However, these facilities are underutilized, with a significant majority of EU-owned or flagged vessels being dismantled in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. The study revealed that from 2019 to 2025, only five percent of the EU’s dismantling capacity was utilized, with just 22 percent of the 706 EU-flagged ships dismantled worldwide being recycled in EU facilities.
The report also highlighted that nearly half of the EU-flagged ships were beached in South Asia, emphasizing the EU’s failure to enforce its own recycling regulations. Critics argue this reflects a double standard in the EU’s approach, as it allows scrapping in substandard yards despite existing regulations aimed at promoting environmental safety. The NGOs are urging the EU to utilize its domestic yards more effectively, especially as the number of ships nearing the end of their life is expected to increase significantly in the coming decade.
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