NEWS RELEASE
Date: 27 February 2007
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UK action to tighten ship recycling standards
A new UK strategy to improve the conditions in which ships are recycled is published today.
The aim is to ensure that Government-owned and commercial ships are recycled to acceptable health, safety and environmental standards, particularly in developing countries.
The UK has taken the decision to develop its own strategy rather than wait for the outcome of international negotiations, which are likely to take several years to bring any agreement into force.
Ben Bradshaw, Minister of State for Local Environment, Marine and Animal Welfare , said that because the status quo had been seen not to be working the UK needed to take action now to secure sustainable ship-recycling practices.
"The risk in some developing countries is that workers can be exposed to an extremely dangerous work environment, with high accident rates in poorly regulated yards" he said. "Such conditions can also lead to considerable pollution of the local environment where recycling takes place. It is unacceptable for us to simply ignore this.
"The Government has decided it is important to lead the way by ensuring that Government-owned vessels are dealt with to the standards we would expect to apply in this country and to be clear about the standards we want to apply to all vessels, until an internationally recognised and globally enforceable regime is in place."
Based on current estimates, some 30 MOD vessels are scheduled to come out of operation by 2013. For commercial vessels, it is expected that some 400 EU flagged ships will require recycling by 2010 due to the phase out of single hull tankers.
The Strategy provides:
• New guidance on the sale or recycling of Government-owned vessels. This includes additional conditions in sales contracts to ensure that new owners take full responsibility for the safe recycling of the vessels allowing recycling only in facilities meeting acceptable standards and introducing stronger controls on vessels exported outside the UK.
• Recommendations for UK ship owners clarifying the UK position on European and international obligations for the import and export of vessels to and from the UK.
• Recommendations for recycling facilities including expanding capacity to relieve current limited options available to ship owners and upgrading existing facilities in developing countries to ensure improved conditions for workers and the environment.
Defra has also issued guidance to improve understanding of the regulatory framework and to signpost assistance available to those who wish to recycle ships in the UK. A full Regulatory Impact Assessment has been produced to accompany the Strategy.
The Strategy is published at www.defra.gov.uk/environment/waste/strategy/ship.htm
Notes to editors
1. Defra guidance 'An overview of the ship recycling process in the UK' is available online at www.defra.gov.uk
2. 95% of a ship's material can be reused or recycled, mainly its steel and equipment.
3. The House of Commons Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee published a report in November 2004 - Dismantling Defunct Ships - highlighting in particular the need to ensure Government-owned end-of-life vessels are recycled in a way that does not harm the environment or people, to provide clear guidance to those wishing to recycle ships in the UK and to work towards a global regulatory framework to ensure commercial vessels are recycled in accordance with acceptable standards.
4. Internationally, three UN organisations, the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the UNEP Basel Convention are working to develop a pragmatic, globally enforceable solution for the safe and environmental sound recycling of ships.
5. In December 2005, the 24 th Assembly of the IMO agreed to develop a legally binding instrument being drafted as an International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships, for adoption in the 2008/9 biennium. This would be the first globally enforceable standard for ship recycling.
6. Government published for consultation its draft Ship Recycling Strategy In March 2006 which has been amended taking into account the comments received.
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Page published: 27 February 2007