Brussels / Alang, Nov 5: The European Parliament's Committee on the Environment, Climate and Food Safety (ENVI) voted by a large majority on November 4 against including two Indian ship-recycling yards — Shree Ram (Shree Ram Vessel Scrap) and YSI Recyclers, both at Alang-Sosiya in Gujarat — in the 16th edition of the European List of ship recycling facilities, according to a statement from the NGO Shipbreaking Platform reported by All About Shipping. The two yards had been preliminarily approved by the European Commission, after inspections, to recycle EU-flagged ships, and would have been the first facilities from the Indian subcontinent ever to join the list.

Source: All About Shipping

The objection was presented by MEP Sara Matthieu (Greens/EFA) and co-signed by Bruno Tobback (S&D), Gerben-Jan Gerbrandy (Renew) and Anja Hazekamp (The Left). Its supporters argue that the 'beaching method' — scrapping ships on tidal mudflats, with primary cutting in the intertidal zone — cannot satisfy EU standards for environmental and worker protection, saying that including such a facility 'would be against the intention and the letter of the [Ship Recycling Regulation]'. The objection cites Article 13(1) of the Regulation, which requires controlling all leakages and conducting operations on impermeable floors, and points to monitoring reports it says show rising levels of copper, chromium, cadmium and mercury at Alang-Sosiya since 2017 and 2020. These pollution claims are the objectors' case, presented in their statement.

Source: All About Shipping

41Facilities on the current EU list (15th edition, Feb 2026): 30 in Europe, 10 in Türkiye, 1 in the US
128Operational plots at Alang-Sosiya, per Indian government data (July 2026)
4.5M LDT/yearAlang-Sosiya's reported annual recycling capacity
$465–475 vs $285–295Indicative dry-cargo demolition prices per LDT, India vs Türkiye (Oct 30, 2026)

The shipping industry is pushing the other way. The European Community Shipowners' Association (ECSA) called on MEPs to reject the objection, arguing the two yards were thoroughly evaluated during an extensive inspection period and found to meet the EU Regulation's requirements, Seatrade Maritime reported. Industry groups also warn of a coming recycling squeeze: BIMCO has estimated that more than 16,000 vessels, of about 700 million dwt, will need recycling over the next decade.

Source: Seatrade Maritime

For India, the stakes are scale and price. Government figures reported in July 2026 counted 128 operational plots at Alang-Sosiya, 115 of them compliant with the IMO's Hong Kong Convention — which entered into force on June 26, 2025 — but the EU regulation adds stricter requirements that Hong Kong Convention certification alone does not satisfy, ShipUniverse reported. India's indicative demolition prices, around $465–475 per LDT against Türkiye's $285–295, show why EU-list access matters commercially. No response from the Indian government or the two yards had been reported in the coverage so far.

Source: ShipUniverse

What is solid

  • The ENVI committee backed the objection on November 4 by a large majority; the yards named are Shree Ram and YSI Recyclers at Alang-Sosiya
  • The committee vote is not a final rejection and does not legally bind the European Commission; a plenary vote is expected at the end of November and Member States have the final word
  • Neither yard is on the EU list today, so EU-flagged ships cannot yet be recycled at Alang under the Regulation

What is only claimed

  • Whether tidal beaching can ever meet EU containment rules — objectors say it cannot; shipowners say these two inspected yards meet the requirements
  • The objectors' pollution-trend claims for Alang-Sosiya, which the industry side disputes by pointing to yard upgrades and inspections
  • Whether the existing 41 listed yards provide enough capacity — objectors cite over 2 million LDT; industry warns of a recycling shortfall as the fleet ages
What happens next

The objection goes to a full European Parliament plenary vote, expected at the end of November. The Commission is not legally bound to withdraw its proposal, and EU Member States take the final implementing decision — so the first Indian yards' EU fate will be settled in the coming weeks, not by this committee vote alone.