<p class="ds-markdown-paragraph" style="margin: 16px 0px; color: rgb(15, 17, 21); font-family: quote-cjk-patch, Inter, system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Open Sans", "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><span class="">European Shipowners has urged Members of the European Parliament to support the European Commission's proposal to include two Indian ship recycling yards in the EU List of Ship Recycling Facilities, ahead of a decisive committee vote on 4 November 2026 . The Environment Committee of the European Parliament will vote on a motion for resolution objecting to the Commission's proposal, and ECSA is calling on MEPs to reject that motion and back the inclusion of the two Indian yards .</span></p><p class="ds-markdown-paragraph" style="margin: 16px 0px; color: rgb(15, 17, 21); font-family: quote-cjk-patch, Inter, system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Open Sans", "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><span class="">The two Indian yards have been the subject of an extensive evaluation process. According to ECSA, they were thoroughly inspected over a sustained period and found compliant with the requirements of the EU Ship Recycling Regulation . The Commission's proposal, if approved, would mark the first inclusion of Indian yards in the EU list, signalling that facilities outside Europe can meet the bloc's stringent safety and environmental standards. ECSA described the proposal as "a major breakthrough in ensuring high environmental and safety standards for ship recycling worldwide" .</span></p><p class="ds-markdown-paragraph" style="margin: 16px 0px; color: rgb(15, 17, 21); font-family: quote-cjk-patch, Inter, system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Open Sans", "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><span class="">Sotiris Raptis, Secretary General of European Shipowners, framed the vote as a test of the EU's own legislative credibility. "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," he said. "Objecting to the inclusion of facilities that comply with the stringent EU safety and environmental standards would undermine the credibility of the EU's own legislation" . The argument is that if the EU rejects yards that have passed its own inspection process, it weakens the incentive for other non-EU yards to invest in compliance.</span></p><p class="ds-markdown-paragraph" style="margin: 16px 0px; color: rgb(15, 17, 21); font-family: quote-cjk-patch, Inter, system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Open Sans", "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><span class="">The context for the vote is a growing capacity gap in global ship recycling. A BIMCO report cited by ECSA found that roughly 16,000 ships will need recycling over the next decade, a volume that existing EU-listed facilities cannot absorb . European facilities are dedicated mainly to local and offshore markets, and much of the new investment in Europe is going into offshore decommissioning, which is potentially more profitable than ship recycling. Absorbing large, ocean-going vessels at the scale required would demand space and workflows that European yards do not currently have, resulting in significant waiting times .</span></p><p class="ds-markdown-paragraph" style="margin: 16px 0px; color: rgb(15, 17, 21); font-family: quote-cjk-patch, Inter, system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Open Sans", "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><span class="">The inclusion of Indian yards is therefore not merely a regulatory formality but a practical necessity for the shipping industry. Without additional capacity on the EU list, shipowners face limited options for compliant recycling, which could lead to delays, higher costs, or the risk of non-compliant practices. ECSA's support for the Commission's proposal reflects the industry's interest in expanding the pool of approved facilities to meet the coming wave of recycling demand.</span></p><p class="ds-markdown-paragraph" style="margin: 16px 0px; color: rgb(15, 17, 21); font-family: quote-cjk-patch, Inter, system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Open Sans", "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><span class="">The global shipping industry has already mobilised in support of the proposal. In September 2026, industry bodies came together through a Joint Industry Statement and issued an open letter to EU ministers urging them to adopt the list . The breadth of that support suggests that the inclusion of Indian yards is viewed not as a concession but as a necessary step to align regulatory capacity with the volume of vessels approaching end-of-life.</span></p><p class="ds-markdown-paragraph" style="margin: 16px 0px; color: rgb(15, 17, 21); font-family: quote-cjk-patch, Inter, system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Open Sans", "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><span class="">For India, the vote is significant beyond the specific yards involved. Inclusion in the EU list would validate the investments that Indian recycling facilities have made in safety and environmental standards, and it would open a regulated channel for European shipowners to recycle vessels in India. The Indian ship recycling industry has faced criticism over worker safety and environmental practices, and EU listing would provide a market-based incentive for further improvement, as yards that fail to maintain standards could be removed from the list.</span></p><p class="ds-markdown-paragraph" style="margin: 16px 0px; color: rgb(15, 17, 21); font-family: quote-cjk-patch, Inter, system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Open Sans", "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><span class="">Looking ahead, the 4 November vote will determine whether the Commission's proposal proceeds or is blocked by parliamentary objection. If the motion is rejected and the yards are included, it would establish a precedent for other non-EU facilities that meet EU standards, potentially expanding the list further in the coming years. If the motion succeeds, it would delay the inclusion and raise questions about the EU's willingness to recognise compliance outside its borders. For shipowners facing a looming recycling capacity crunch, the outcome will directly affect their options for disposing of ageing tonnage in a compliant and cost-effective manner.</span></p>
European Shipowners Urge MEPs to Back Inclusion of Two Indian Ship Recycling Yards in EU List Ahead of Key Vote
European Shipowners (ECSA) has called on Members of the European Parliament to reject a motion objecting to the European Commission's proposal to add two Indian ship recycling yards to the EU List of Ship Recycling Facilities. The European Parliament's Environment Committee votes on the objection on 4 November 2026. ECSA said the two Indian yards were thoroughly evaluated during an extensive inspection period and found compliant with the EU Ship Recycling Regulation. The vote is a critical test of whether yards outside the EU that meet stringent safety and environmental standards can be recognised under EU law.
