EU Ship Recycling Fight Escalates Over Indian Beaching Yards

A fight over whether Indian shipbreaking yards using the controversial beaching method should qualify under European environmental rules is widening, with steelmakers, recyclers, trade unions and environmental groups now urging the European Commission to withdraw its proposal.

The NGO Shipbreaking Platform, EUROFER, IndustriAll Europe, the European Environmental Bureau, Recycling Europe and Transport & Environment sent a joint letter to European Commissioners Jessika Roswall and Stéphane Séjourné opposing the proposed addition of two facilities in Alang-Sosiya, Gujarat, to the European List of Ship Recycling Facilities.

The facilities — Shree Ram Vessel Scrap Pvt. Ltd./Shree Ram Shipping Industries Pvt. Ltd. and