Ship recycling: Update to European List includes Germany’s first facility

Inclusion on the list authorizes shipyards to service large EU-flagged vessels while ensuring adherence to rigorous environmental and safety standards.

The European Commission has adopted the 15th edition of the European List of Ship Recycling Facilities, which includes the first shipyard approved in Germany, located in Emden.

The list renews the inclusion of four EU shipyards in Denmark, Estonia, Lithuania and Spain. Another in Türkiye has also been renewed.

Three shipyards have been removed from the list, including a Finnish shipyard that chose not to renew its authorisation, and one in Northern Ireland that failed to provide the necessary information for renewal. The Commission also found that one shipyard in Türkiye did not comply with the EU Ship Recycling Regulation, specifically regarding shoreline protection.

Unsafe ship recycling poses risks of pollution and harm to humans. Inclusion on the European List allows facilities to work with large vessels flying the flag of an EU member state while guaranteeing compliance with strict environmental, safety and labour standards.

Ship recycling also plays a key role in advancing the circular economy, enabling the recovery of large quantities of high-quality steel and other valuable materials. By keeping these resources in use for longer, approved facilities help cut demand for virgin raw materials and support more sustainable industrial value chains.

The updated European List now contains 41 ship recycling facilities: 30 in Europe (EU, Norway and the UK), 10 in Türkiye and 1 in the United States. Several of these shipyards can recycle large vessels.

Member States supported the Commission’s decision to update the list through a vote of the Ship Recycling Regulation Committee, which assists the Commission in implementing the EU Ship Recycling Regulation.

Background

European ship owners possess around 30% of the world’s fleet in tonnage. Many ships are dismantled outside the EU, mainly in South Asia, under conditions that are often harmful to workers’ health and the environment.

Since 31 December 2018, the EU Ship Recycling Regulation requires all large seagoing vessels sailing under an EU member state flag to use approved facilities from the European List.

The list is regularly updated to include compliant facilities or remove those that no longer meet standards. To be listed, any recycling facility, regardless of its location, must meet safety and environmental requirements.

Facilities in the EU are assessed by national authorities, which then inform the Commission if the facility should be listed.

Ship recycling facilities located outside the EU that intend to recycle ships flying a member state flag must apply to the Commission for listing. The Commission then evaluates these facilities against regulatory requirements and proposes their inclusion if they comply.