Ship recycling
The dismantling of ships that are no longer to be used involves significant risks from a safety, environmental, and health perspective.
EU Regulation
EU Ship Recycling Regulation (SRR)
The EU Ship Recycling Regulation (SRR) imposes requirements for the Inventory of hazardous materials (IHM) that may be present onboard ships and outlines the procedures for when a ship is decommissioned and scrapped.
The EU Ship Recycling Regulation came into force on 30 December 2013, but its requirements are being phased in for both newly built and existing ships. European ships with a gross tonnage exceeding 500 may only be recycled at facilities that are approved and listed on the EU’s ship recycling facility list (The EU-list). Some of the regulation's requirements also apply to ships flagged in third countries.
Inventory of Hazardous Materials
According to the EU Ship Recycling Regulation, ships must have an onboard Inventory of hazardous materials (IHM), indicating the materials' locations and approximate quantities. This requirement applies to newly built ships from 31 December 2018, and to existing ships from 31 December 2020. The regulation specifies which materials are covered and how the inventory should be maintained and updated.
An Inventory certificate is issued once the inventory has been verified and an initial survey has been conducted. All existing ships must undergo a survey no later than 31 December 2020. Thereafter, periodic surveys are required to renew the certificate.
When a Ship is to be Recycled
Before recycling a ship, a written notification must be submitted to the Swedish Transport Agency (Transportstyrelsen). A final survey is then conducted to ensure the ship meets all requirements, and a Recycling certificate is issued.
At the same time, the person responsible for operations at the recycling facility must prepare a Ship recycling plan, which must be approved by the country where the recycling will take place. Recycling may only commence once the ship has a recycling certificate and an approved recycling plan. The regulation also includes requirements for other preparations.
Responsible Authorities
The Swedish Transport Agency is responsible for matters related to ship requirements under the EU Regulation and ensures that ships under the Swedish flag are recycled in accordance with the provisions of the EU Regulation. During port state control inspections, it is verified that ships have the appropriate certificates.
The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency (Naturvårdsverket) is the competent authority regarding ship recycling facilities.
The Hong Kong Convention
Global Regulations
The EU Ship Recycling Regulation is based on the Hong Kong Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships (HKC), adopted by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in May 2009. This convention entered into force 2025. EU has chosen to act ahead of the global implementation with the aim of raising standards and accelerating the adoption of global rules.
Until the Hong Kong Convention entered into force, the international Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal was applicable. EU has also ratified the Basel Ban Amendment, which prohibits the export of hazardous waste from the EU to non-OECD countries.
Entry into Force of the Hong Kong Convention
The Hong Kong Convention will enter into force 24 months after 15 states have ratified it, provided that these states represent at least 40 percent of the world’s merchant shipping tonnage and have a combined ship recycling capacity equal to at least three percent of their total tonnage. These conditions have now been met, and the convention entered into force on 26 June 2025. However, the entry into force of the convention does not affect Sweden, as Sweden has not ratified the convention. The convention is only binding for states that are party to it.
Sweden will continue to apply the EU Ship Recycling Regulation, which means that Swedish ships covered by the regulation must carry an Inventory certificate onboard. This certificate is equivalent to the International Certificate on Inventory of Hazardous Materials required by the Hong Kong Convention. Therefore, Swedish ships carrying this certificate can demonstrate during a Port State Control (PSC) inspection that they that they meet the requirements of HKC and do not receive more favourable treatment than ships covered by the HKC.