Agreement between the European professional bodies of the nautical and composite industries
The two European associations in charge of lobbying for the boating industry (European Boating Industry - EBI) and the composite industry (European Composites Industry Association - EuCIA) have announced the signature of a new partnership. The purpose of the agreement is to find a common approach to the key issues of dismantling, recycling and the future of composites in the marine industry. Concrete actions will focus on :
- cooperation in the working group on end-of-life vessels, co-chaired by EBI and DG Mare (European Directorate for the Sea)
- exchange of information on dismantling, recycling, new materials, life cycle analyses and cooperation between sectors, especially with the wind industry
- lobbying, communication and project-based cooperation at European level
Common reflection between wind and nautical industries on dismantling
95% of boats have composite components and the number of boats reaching the end of their life increases every year. However, the marine industry represents only 3% of the global market for composite materials, behind infrastructure, transportation and wind power. "While we have the challenge of end-of-life composites in our industry, it's only a small part of the composite total. That makes finding joint solutions with other industries even more important," emphasizes Philip Easthill, EBI secretary general.
