The revised templates are intended to help shipowners meet documentation requirements under both the EU Ship Recycling Regulation and the Hong Kong International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships with one set of certificates.
According to the Commission, the update is designed to reduce administrative workload while maintaining existing EU requirements. The certificates cover the inventory of hazardous materials and the declaration that a ship is ready for recycling.
European shipowners account for around 30 percent of the global fleet by tonnage. A significant share of end-of-life vessels, however, is dismantled outside the European Union, particularly in South Asia. Ship dismantling in these regions is regularly associated with risks to worker health and environmental protection.
The EU Ship Recycling Regulation has applied since 2013 and sets mandatory requirements for ships and ship recycling facilities. It also restricts or prohibits the installation and use of hazardous materials such as asbestos and provides the European List of approved ship recycling facilities within and outside the EU.
The Hong Kong Convention entered into force in June 2025 and establishes international standards for safe and environmentally sound ship recycling. In some areas, these provisions are considered less stringent than the requirements of the EU Ship Recycling Regulation. During the experience-building phase defined by the International Maritime Organization, the European Commission plans to contribute to the assessment of the Convention’s implementation and to the development of more robust international standards.
