Legal status of ships-for-scrap maintains on the international Basel agenda

22 - 23 May - During the legal working group of the Basel Convention it was strongly felt that the Basel Convention legally applies to ships-for-scrap when they contain hazardous materials. It was decided that the issue on the legal status maintains on the agenda and that Parties are invited to provide further comments to the Secretariat by the end of December 2002.

Greenpeace emphasizes the need for shared responsibilities

24 - 25 May - During the technical working of the Basel Convention the guidelines on environmentally sound management of ship dismantling were adopted. These guidelines are advisory in nature for shipbreaking nations to improve the environmental performance of facilities involved in the breaking of ships.For the complete guidelines see www.basel.int .

Greenpeace welcomes the guidelines because immediate improvements at the shipbreaking yards are much needed but warns at the same time for unequally divided tasks/responsibilities between shipowners and shipbreaking countries. While poor countries carry the burden of all the hazardous substances on board the ships, the shipowners gain huge profits by selling the dirty ships. "Basel can not push the poorest countries towards implementation of technical guidelines if simultaneously mandatory regulations on the preparations on ships-for-scrap are not developed."

Read the Greenpeace-statement on the Basel guidelines.