Circular Economy: Commission consults on the evaluation of the Ship Recycling Regulation

Today, the Commission is launching a public consultation in order to gather views from a wide range of actors – shipowners, recyclers, industry, national authorities, NGOs and citizens on the EU Ship Recycling Regulation. The feedback received will help the ongoing evaluation of the regulatory framework for the recycling of EU-flagged ships that is in place since 2013.

The evaluation aims to assess how well the Regulation has been applied and its impact to date; assess how well it contributes to the general policy objectives of the European Green Deal and the Circular Economy Action Plan; and identify shortcomings in its implementation and enforcement.

Most ships are built with materials that are suitable for recycling. When ships are dismantled, steel, other scrap metals and various types of equipment become available and can be further reused. Many ships, however, are dismantled outside the EU, under conditions that are often harmful to workers’ health and the environment. The EU’s Ship Recycling Regulation is the only dedicated legally binding framework regulating ship recycling at international level and aims to significantly reduce the negative effects of recycling EU-flagged ships.

Once the evaluation is completed, depending on its findings, the Commission might launch a revision process for the Regulation.

Interested actors are invited to share their views via an online public consultation that runs until 7 June 2023.