The purpose of the new Transitional Measures for Shipowners Selling Ships for Recycling – developed by an inter-industry working group led by the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) – is to help shipowners ensure to the greatest extent possible that their end of life ships will be recycled at facilities that are compliant with the standards enshrined in the IMO Hong Kong Convention, in advance of the global regime entering into legal force.

The Transitional Measures set out detailed advice on the preparation and maintenance of inventories of hazardous materials, as required by the IMO Convention and a separate new EU Regulation which has already entered in force and which has implications for non-EU ships calling at EU ports.

The Guidelines also address measures which shipping companies are strongly recommended to take now when selling end of life ships for recycling.