The Malta Sociological Association (MSA) notes the proposed update to the European List of Ship Recycling Facilities and recognises its importance in promoting environmentally sound and safe ship recycling across the European Union. The MSA recommends that the implementation and future evaluation of the Ship Recycling Regulation explicitly incorporate Social Impact Assessment (SIA) alongside environmental and technical criteria. Ship recycling has significant social implications for workers, local communities, public health, and regional economies, and these should be systematically considered in decision-making.
The MSA also encourages the European Commission to continue promoting high standards of workers' rights, occupational health and safety, and decent working conditions within approved ship recycling facilities. Sustainable ship recycling should not rely on lower labour standards, weaker environmental enforcement, or precarious working conditions, whether within or outside the European Union.
The MSA further recommends that future evaluations consider the wider social impacts of ship recycling, including employment quality, community wellbeing, environmental justice, and the protection of vulnerable workers. Embedding SIA within the implementation of the Ship Recycling Regulation would strengthen evidence-informed policymaking and contribute to a socially just and environmentally sustainable circular economy.
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