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Parliamentary question - E-008254/2016Parliamentary question
E-008254/2016

Requirements for ship recycling facilities

Question for written answer E-008254-16
to the Commission
Rule 130
Margrete Auken (Verts/ALE) , Sirpa Pietikäinen (PPE) , Inés Ayala Sender (S&D) , Peter van Dalen (ECR) , Gerben-Jan Gerbrandy (ALDE) , Josu Juaristi Abaunz (GUE/NGL) , Piernicola Pedicini (EFDD)

In May and June 2016, Maersk, the world’s biggest shipping company, sold two ships for shipbreaking to the ‘Shree Ram’ facility in Alang (India). A report published in October 2016 by the Danwatch research centre has documented ‘deadly working conditions and environmentally irresponsible scrapping of ships’ at that site[1]. ‘Shree Ram’ practises what is generally known as ‘beaching’, the scrapping of the ship in the intertidal zone and on the beach.

In 2013, the EU adopted Regulation 1257/2013 on ship recycling. This regulation sets out clear requirements that need to be met for a facility to be authorised by the Commission for the scrapping of EU ships (inclusion in a European list). There can be no doubt that dismantling on a beach — currently the dominant practice in certain third countries — cannot fulfil any of these requirements.

However, ‘Shree Ram’ is one of five Indian yards that practice ‘beaching’ but have nevertheless applied to be included in the European list.

When does the Commission intend to decide regarding applications from third countries? Can it confirm that the ‘Shree Ram’ facility does not comply with the requirements of the ship recycling regulation, and in particular its Article 13?