EC takes lead on scrapping issues

The European Commission plans several initiatives to ensure ships exported to Asia for scrap are clean of hazardous materials. Margot Wallstrom, EU commissioner for the environment, will write to ministers of all European countries to encourage the forceful implementation of existing European legislation covering waste shipments. She points out that the proposed reform of the transhipment of waste under the Basel Convention, scheduled for approval on June 30, is applicable to ships for scrap. She will also write to IMO requesting it takes the issue seriously and closes loopholes in current international legislation. “After the Prestige and the rapid phase out of single hulled vessels as decided on by the EU, we cannot dump our hazardous waste in developing countries,” explains Wallstrom. The environmental group Greenpeace has welcomed the decision: “Commissioner Wallstrom?s progressive stand today renews hope that vital international regulations will soon come into effect,” says Rampati Kumar from Greenpeace in India.