Belgium was amongst the first countries to join the Hong Kong (Special Administrative Region of China) International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships and has transposed it, as well as the EU regulations on the matter, into its national law.
Within its national law, Belgium has adopted severe sanctions for ships that violate these environmentally sound recycling standards.
Belgium commits to enthousiastically encourage others to join this important convention and is evaluating options to do this is the best possible way (for example through a workshop or seminar within the IMO). It is our goal to maintain high environmental standards by creating a level playing field for the recycling of ships on the international level.