A dispute over whether Indian shipbreaking yards using the beaching method should be included in the European Union’s approved ship recycling list has intensified, with environmental groups, steelmakers, recyclers and trade unions urging the European Commission to reject two facilities in Alang Sosiya, Gujarat.
The NGO Shipbreaking Platform, EUROFER, IndustriAll Europe, the European Environmental Bureau, Recycling Europe and Transport & Environment have jointly opposed the proposed inclusion of Shree Ram Vessel Scrap Pvt. Ltd./Shree Ram Shipping Industries Pvt. Ltd. and YSI Recyclers LLP.
If approved, the two facilities would become the first Indian ship recycling yards to be included on the EU’s European List of Ship Recycling Facilities.
The central point of contention is the beaching method, in which ships are brought onto intertidal areas and dismantled. Opposing organisations argue that the practice can make it more difficult to contain oil and other hazardous substances, potentially exposing surrounding soil, water and marine ecosystems to pollution.
The coalition also cited a heavy fuel oil spill at another Alang facility earlier this year as evidence of the environmental risks associated with dismantling vessels in intertidal zones.
The opposition also includes representatives of Europe’s steel and recycling industries. EUROFER and Recycling Europe have argued that approving Indian beaching yards could disadvantage European facilities that have invested in environmental protection worker safety and waste management systems.
The groups have called on the European Commission to reject the two facilities develop technical guidance that excludes beaching under the EU Ship Recycling Regulation, address what they describe as loopholes involving the reflagging of European owned ships and support efforts for a global ban on beaching through the International Maritime Organization.
Shipping industry organisations, however, have taken the opposite position. BIMCO, European Shipowners | ECSA, the International Chamber of Shipping, INTERCARGO, INTERTANKO and the World Shipping Council have backed the European Commission’s proposal, arguing that facilities should be assessed on their individual environmental and safety performance rather than on their location or recycling method.
In a September 17 letter, eight shipping organisations urged EU environment and transport ministers to approve the two Alang yards. They said inclusion on the European List should depend on whether a facility meets the EU safety and environmental requirements through objective assessment and inspection.
The shipping groups also pointed to the European Commission’s inspection process, which they said found that the two facilities met the relevant EU requirements. They warned that rejecting the yards despite those findings could undermine confidence in the approval system.
The disagreement comes as global rules on ship recycling have strengthened. The International Maritime Organization Hong Kong Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships entered into force on June 26, 2025. India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Turkiye, which together account for much of the world’s ship recycling capacity are parties to the convention.
Under the EU Ship Recycling Regulation, large seagoing vessels flying the flag of an EU member state can be dismantled only at facilities included on the European List. Facilities inside and outside the EU must meet requirements covering environmental protection and worker safety.
The dispute over the two Alang facilities therefore goes beyond the approval of individual yards. It raises a broader regulatory question over whether the beaching method itself should prevent a facility from entering the EU system, or whether individual yards can demonstrate compliance with European environmental and safety standards while continuing to use the method.