Shipowners are unlikely to welcome well-intentioned plans to promote domestic steel recycling chains in the EU. Outside Turkey, no large scale ship-based recycling chains exist in Europe, and yards cannot afford automation to offset labour costs disparities.

Plans being discussed within the European Commission to require greater domestic recycling, perhaps initially focused on the offshore wind sector, will inevitably result in lower sales prices for ship owners, and may well lead to pressure to extend the operational life of vessels.