The European Commission has introduced new standardised formats for ship recycling certificates, allowing ship owners to meet legal obligations using a single administrative form when recycling vessels.
The certificates document hazardous materials on board ships and confirm a vessel’s readiness for recycling. The revised approach allows ship owners to comply simultaneously with the EU Ship Recycling Regulation and the Hong Kong Convention through one certificate.
The change is intended to reduce administrative requirements while maintaining the existing standards set under EU legislation. The update does not amend the substantive obligations for ship owners or recycling facilities.
European ship owners account for around 30 percent of the global fleet by tonnage. However, a significant proportion of ships are dismantled outside the European Union, particularly in South Asia, where working conditions and environmental protections have been a concern.
The EU Ship Recycling Regulation, adopted in 2013, establishes rules for the recycling of large seagoing vessels flying the flag of an EU Member State. It sets requirements for ships and recycling facilities, restricts or bans the use of certain hazardous materials such as asbestos, and maintains a European List of approved ship recycling facilities located both within and outside the EU.
Meanwhile, the Hong Kong International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships entered into force in June 2025. While it introduces global standards for ship recycling, some of its provisions are less detailed than those contained in EU legislation.
During the implementation phase overseen by the International Maritime Organisation, the European Commission will contribute to the evaluation of how the Convention is applied in practice and to discussions on strengthening international standards for ship recycling.
