The European Commission (EC) adopted the first version of the European List of ship recycling facilities on December 19, 2016.

Demolition yards included in the European List of ship recycling facilities are located in Belgium, Denmark, France, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom.

The first 18 shipyards will have exclusive access to the recycling ships flying the flags of the EU member states, according to the EC.

The EC said it also received applications from yards in third countries which are still being assessed. The commission will decide on their inclusion in the list in 2017.

“I congratulate the 18 European companies which have made it on the European List of ship recycling facilities. The List sends a clear signal that there is business and employment in safe and environmentally sound ship recycling, starting in Europe. With the List we close the loop for the European naval industry: these ships were often designed and built in Europe; we can take care of them at the end of their life too – in a respectful way,” Karmenu Vella, Commissioner for Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, said.

Adopted in 2013, the EU Ship Recycling Regulation requires all vessels sailing under an EU member state flag to use an approved ship recycling facility.

From a date set in the regulation to fall between mid-2017 and December 31, 2018, large commercial seagoing vessels flying the flag of an EU member state may be recycled only in safe and sound ship recycling facilities included in the European List of ship recycling facilities.

Along with the first version of the European List, the commission has adopted four further acts to implement the Ship Recycling Regulation, to provide information on hazardous materials in ships and facilitate the recycling process.

The regulation obliges all ships visiting European ports – irrespective of the flag they fly – to carry on board an inventory of hazardous materials from the end of 2020 onwards. The measure is expected to improve sourcing of quality ship parts globally and benefit European shipbuilding yards, according to the EC.

Already from the publication of the European List, all EU flagged ships going for dismantling must carry on board an inventory of hazardous materials.