world-wide the shipowning industry opposes to the normative proposals EU on the recycling of the ships



The three primary world-wide shipowning associations European Community Shipowners' Associations (ECSA), International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) and Asian Shipowners' Forum (ASF) have denounced the inapplicabilità of the amendments to the European normative new on the proposed naval demolition beyond a year make from the EU commission ( on 23 March 2012) and that it will be voted this week from the European Parliament in plenary sitting (is one of the thursday points on the agenda).

The norm proposal, than last month has obtained the green light of the Commission for the atmosphere of the Parliament EU ( on 26 March 2013), according to ECSA, commercial ICS and ASF contain proposed that among other things they will irritate the partner of the EU. In particular, the shipowning associations reject the proposal guaranteed from the Commission for the atmosphere to impose a tax at the expense of the mercantile ships of any flag that scale the ports of the European Union with the objective to financially support the systems of dismantling and recycling of the ships of the EU.

"Draft - the general secretary of the ECSA, Alfons Guinier has criticized - of an unacceptable tax on the commerce and will bring a serious commercial offense to the partner of the European Union, not only regarding the main nations of demolition of the ships, as China and India, but regarding main marine nations as Japan and Singapore. Simply - it has explained - these proposals sufficiently are not weighed up. In principle - it has found Guinier - it is mistaken to impose a tax on an industrial field to the aim to help of another, above all without an adapted consultation with the parts interested. The shipping it is a total industry that work under total rules. The European Parliament would not have own to preview measures that they go in the opposite direction regarding the objective to improve the conditions of demolition to total level, a objective that we support totally".

ECSA, ICS and ASF consider moreover that, if adopted, the amendments of the Parliament EU will fatally compromise the effectiveness of the international convention of Hong Kong for the sure and compatible recycling with the atmosphere adopted from the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in 2009, than - they have emphasized the shipowning associations - the full support of the industry of the shipping has, that it has the objective to improve the environmental conditions of job and in the yards of demolition of the world, than in great part is found in Asia. The convention - they have remembered ECSA, ICS and ASF - still has not taken effect waiting for the definition of lines detailed guide of performance that they are only recently finalized by the IMO; however - they have evidenced the three associations - the field of the shipping has already produced own recommendations so that the shipowners can comply to requirement IMO in advance regarding the formal one ratify of the convention of Hong Kong by the governments.

"If the proposed amendments are got ahead - it has observed the general secretary of the ICS, Peter Hinchliffe - this are a serious damage for the convention of Hong Kong. The measures of the European Parliament would be therefore completely counter-productive". "Not draft only of the tax - it has specified Hinchliffe - many of the other proposed measures, as for example the endorsements against the non-EU shipowners not in rule and the creation of an unilateral directory of the systems of recycling in a position to satisfying requirement of the EU, will give almost sure as a result that the Asian nations will not be able to ratify convention IMO. This will undermine years of hard job by the governments near the IMO, included the Member States of the EU, so as by the shipowners and demolishers of ships in order to develop a binding total solution that can truly work".

"It is important to understand that second the dispositions for the effectiveness of the convention of Hong Kong - it has added the general secretary of the ASF, Yuichi Sonoda - are not possible that the convention takes effect unless is not ratified by the main nations of demolition of the ships. With these amazing and incomprehensible proposals that are creating great worry between the industry and the governments in Asia - it has concluded Sonoda - the opportunity will get lost for a generation to improve the standards through the convention of Hong Kong".

ECSA, ICS and ASF have specified that if such proposals will be received by the European Parliament, "the field of the marine transport will have to work with the Member States to the aim to guarantee that the proposals come blocked before is too late. The international industry of the shipping - they have emphasized the associations - is working also with the governments of the marine nations extra EU that is considered can make to clearly feel their voice to Brussels if the European Parliament gives the go-ahead free to the proposals".