News / Vessel scrapping spree on the cards after EU recycling rule change

© Bayazid Akter

Older ships are no longer being categorised as ‘waste’ for the purpose of EU law, meaning European-flagged ships can now legally be scrapped outside the EU.

Almost all vessels are scrapped in India, Pakistan or Bangladesh, but Turkey has been the only eligible scrapping destination for European shipowners, though it has few scrapyards and dry-docks sufficient to accommodate larger vessels.

Ships sold for scrap had been classified as “waste”, which prevented owners from legally exporting them to non-OECD countries, thanks to the ...