News

Sea Beirut case set for victory

8 april 2004 - A recent court decision by the second Administrative Court of Izmir (Turkey) confirmed that the import of scrap ships containing asbestos and other hazardous materials to Turkey, is illegal. The decision of the court confirms earlier decisions by courts in India, Belgium and the Netherlands that the Basel Convention applies to the export of end-of-life-ships as it does to the export of any other kind of hazardous waste.

The court decision was triggered by the "Sea Beirut case". Sea Beirut was a ship containing asbestos that was illegally exported to Turkey from France. Greenpeace unearthed a scandal by stopping the French ship, just before it entered into Aliaga shipbreaking yards to be scrapped in May 2002. Upon the demand of Greenpeace, Turkish authorities made analyses and found asbestos on board.

The decision of the Court is likely to set caselaw for possible future cases, in which toxic end-of-life-ships ships will be forbidden to enter Aliaga shipbreaking yards. Such ships may enter Turkish waters only after being decontaminated abroad.

Greenpeace welcomes the Court's decision, after years of perseverant work on shipbreaking. However, we will continue bringing more pressure to the authorities to implement the relevant decisions and laws.

The Secretariate of the Basel Convention was recently informed about this decision by the Turkish authorities and has alerted the Parties to the Convention that exporting end-of-life-ships containing asbestos to Turkey is considered a breach of the Basel Convention. The fate of the "Sea Beirut" is still unclear. There is no sign that the French authorities are preparing procedures to take the ship back.

More on the Sea Beirut.