WRITTEN QUESTION E-2290/03 by Alexander de Roo (Verts/ALE) to the Commission. Export and dismantling of toxic ships.
Date: 2003-07-11
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: International Maritime Organisation, South Asia, export of waste, hazardous waste, international convention, international standard, toxic substance, vessel

C 51 E/220

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

26.2.2004

the inclusion of governance related training activities into all co-operation projects will contribute to
strengthen Vietnam’s overall governance and human rights commitments.

The Commission’s overall policy towards Vietnam is to encourage and support progress on human rights
and democratisation, and to rise concerns where abuses occur or where a deterioration in the situation
becomes evident. The Commission works closely with the Member States to monitor human rights
developments in the country supporting démarches to the Government of Vietnam on human rights
issues, including those pertaining to the situation of Persons of Concern. The Commission’s Delegation in
Hanoi, together with the diplomatic missions of the Member States, will continue to follow closely the
human rights situation in Vietnam and take appropriate action.

(2004/C 51 E/240)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2185/03

by Erik Meijer (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(30 June 2003)

Subject: Dismantling of old ships under hazardous conditions using underpaid labour, with associated

releases of toxic material, on the coasts of South Asia

1.
Is the Commission aware that the dismantling of old ships is increasingly being relocated to the
coasts of India, Bangladesh and Pakistan, where the operations are often carried out in an amateurish
fashion without protection of labourers, producing not only 95 % steel but also 5 % toxic substances,
including asbestos and PCBs and in many cases also oil and gas residues?

2.
Is the Commission aware that as a result of such methods beaches are being irreparably polluted, the
traditional sources of livelihood for farmers and fishermen in the vicinity of the scrapyards are being
permanently destroyed and many of the workers, who earn only EUR 2 per day, become victims of
accidents, some of them fatal?

Does the Commission anticipate a further increase in this hazardous method of dismantling ships, as
3.
many single-hulled tankers will be decommissioned over the next years and the extremely low wages and
lack of safety precautions will induce many businesses to take their rustbuckets to the coasts of South
Asia?

Can the Commission confirm that the current practices contravene the existing legislation, namely

4.
the Basle Convention, which is intended to prevent exports of toxic waste?

5. Will the Commission,
inter alia on the occasion of the meeting of the International Maritime
Organisation (IMO) in July 2003, promote measures to genuinely help put an end to these exports of toxic
materials and waste as soon as possible?

(2004/C 51 E/241)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2290/03

by Alexander de Roo (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

Subject: Export and dismantling of toxic ships

(11 July 2003)

The current export of toxic ships from European owners to the shipbreaking beaches of Asia (India,
Bangladesh and Pakistan) needs to be improved under international rules.

Is the Commission aware of the ongoing export of hazardous substances on board vessels to Asia?

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The Basel Convention regulates the export of hazardous waste. The export of hazardous substances like
asbestos, PCB oils, heavy oils and TBT paints needs to be regulated under the Basel Convention. Does the
Commission agree with this interpretation? Is the European Commission willing to promote this
interpretation to an international standard under IMO?

European shipowners seem to be unwilling to take any voluntary steps to prevent the export of hazardous
substances on board end-of-life vessels. Is the European Commission prepared to inform Member States
and the European Shipowners Association of the need to apply the Basel Convention?

Joint answer
to Written Questions E-2185/03 and E-2290/03
given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(10 September 2003)

The Commission is aware of and very concerned about the ongoing and increasing export of end-of-life
ships to Asia and the conditions under which the dismantling of such ships is carried out, and it agrees
that such exports should be dealt with under international rules.

Concerning the issue of single hull oil tankers, the Commission has already indicated, during the discussion
of the proposal at the Regional Policy, Transport and tourism (RETT) Committee, its intention to carry out
a study about the impact on the ship recycling industry of the accelerated phasing out of single hull
tankers.

As pointed out the Basel Convention regulates the export of hazardous waste at international level. The
Basel Convention, as amended, is implemented into Community law through Waste Shipment Regulation
(EEC) No 259/93 (1). That Regulation clearly bans
the export of hazardous waste like asbestos,
polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) oils, heavy oils and tributyltin (TBT) paints from the Community to non-
Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries.

In the context of the International Maritime Organisation, the Community and its Member States are
committed to working towards the finalisation of a guideline on the issue, that takes full account of
Community legislation,
the Basel Convention and its amendments as well as its guidelines on the
dismantling of ships.

The Commission attaches a great importance to the issue and considers it imperative that the framework
which the Basel Convention and the Waste Shipment Regulation (EEC) No 259/93 provide is respected
and reinforced by all stakeholders. The Commission has therefore urged Member States to give priority to
the issue internationally, to deal with all the elements involved (cid:1) whether they relate to the environment,
health or safety and whether they are of a technical or legal nature (cid:1) in a comprehensive way, and to
ensure that the Basel Convention and the Waste Shipment Regulation are respected.

the Community and its Member States are committed to the mainstreaming of

Furthermore,
the
environmental, health and safety conditions in their support to developing countries. In this respect
information exchange, shared responsibility and capacity building are considered key to ensuring sound
management of waste and for improving maritime transport safety.

(1) Council Regulation (EEC) No 259/1993 of 1 February 1993 on the supervision and control of shipments of waste

within, into and out of the European Community, OJ L 30, 6.2.1993.