EU Ships Are Still Being Dismantled on South Asian Beaches, New Study Finds

A new study confirms that the European Union continues to send most of its end-of-life vessels to South Asia for scrapping, even though Europe has enough recycling capacity to handle the work at home. Only about 5% of EU ships’ tonnage is dismantled within Europe, while the rest is beached in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh.

The practice raises serious environmental and safety concerns, as beaching operations often take place under poor conditions for workers and local ecosystems. Despite the availability of domestic facilities, economic incentives appear to keep pushing ships toward South Asian yards.

The findings highlight a persistent gap between the EU’s stated recycling ambitions and the reality of where its ships actually end up. For a sector increasingly under scrutiny for its environmental footprint, the study adds pressure to close that gap.