Regulating the shipbreaking industry: a study on European efforts to ensure safe and environmentally sound ship recycling

Sammanfattning: Shipbreaking, also referred to as ship recycling, is a dirty and dangerous industry. Economic motives drive shipowners to export their unwanted vessels to Asia, where they are dismantled under conditions extremely hazardous to human health and the environment. The complexity of the maritime system makes it difficult to implement the legal instruments available to prevent the substandard practices, and many of the stakeholders involved take advantage of this matter in order to avoid their responsibilities. The European Regulation on ship recycling, based on the Hong Kong Convention that has not yet entered into force, introduces a number of new measures aimed at ensuring safe management of hazardous materials. This paper examines to what extent the regulation can ensure the safe and environmentally sound recycling of ships, based on issues such as ship registration, jurisdiction, applicability and enforcement.