Offences under EU Ship Recycling Regulation 1257/2013
Problems of beaching and reflagging/flagging out
“Beaching” entails that a ship due for scrapping is simply sailed onto a beach for demolition and dismantling. The demolition works is often undertaken by extensive use of manual work, and has been subject to massive criticism due to dangerous and hazardous working conditions, and because hazardous waste is not handled in an environmentally responsible manner.
South Asian shipbreaking yards have purchased the majority of the world's obsolete tonnage for demolition for years. The beaching method is mainly used in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. None of these countries are members of the OECD. Exportation of end of life vessels from the EU for scrapping in these countries is therefore prohibited. This does prevent ship-owners from selling the vessels to be beached is South Asia, but beaching is under increasing scrutiny from European courts and institutional investors as illustrated by two recent Dutch cases Seatrade and Holland Maas.