The European Community Shipowners’ Associations (ECSA) has urged Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) to reject a motion opposing the European Commission’s proposal to include two Indian ship recycling yards in the European List of Ship Recycling Facilities.
The European Parliament’s Environment Committee is scheduled to vote on November 4, 2026, on the motion for a resolution objecting to the Commission’s proposal. ECSA has called on MEPs to reject the motion and support the inclusion of the two Indian facilities in the EU list.
The Commission’s proposal, put forward in July 2026, received support from ECSA, which described the move as recognition of investments made by Indian ship recycling facilities to meet European Union safety and environmental standards. In September, the global shipping industry also issued a joint statement backing the proposal, alongside an open letter to EU ministers urging its adoption.
“The inclusion of the two Indian yards in the EU list is a long-awaited and very welcome step, which rewards investments made to meet EU standards,” said Sotiris Raptis, Secretary General of ECSA. He added that objecting to the inclusion of facilities that comply with stringent EU safety and environmental requirements would undermine the credibility of the EU’s own legislation.
According to ECSA, both Indian yards underwent an extensive inspection and evaluation process and were found to comply with the requirements of the EU Ship Recycling Regulation (EU SRR).
The development comes amid growing concerns over global ship recycling capacity. A recent report by the Baltic and International Maritime Council (BIMCO) estimates that approximately 16,000 ships will require recycling over the next decade, highlighting the need for adequate and geographically diversified recycling capacity.
BIMCO has also pointed out that European ship recycling facilities primarily serve local and offshore markets, both in terms of vessel numbers and size. Much of the recent investment in Europe is directed towards offshore decommissioning, which can be more profitable than conventional ship recycling. Consequently, available capacity is not necessarily geared towards handling larger merchant vessels.
Accommodating significant volumes of large, ocean-going ships would require additional space and specialised workflows that European yards currently lack, potentially resulting in substantial waiting times.
ECSA maintains that ship recycling facilities outside the European Union that meet the safety and environmental standards prescribed under the EU SRR should be eligible for recognition and inclusion in the European list.
The November 4 vote is therefore expected to be an important step in determining whether the two Indian ship recycling yards will gain recognition under the EU framework.