European Commission proposes simplified control procedures for shipments of waste

The European Commission has proposed a revision of the 10-year-old Waste Shipment Regulation. This Regulation sets environmental criteria for waste shipments within, into and outside the European Union. It covers shipments of practically all types of waste by all types of means, including vehicles, trains, ships and planes. The proposal strengthens the current control procedures,simplifying and clarifying them to the benefit of both the environment and waste shipment companies. The proposal is also a step towards greater international harmonisation of waste shipments, as it fully implements the UN Basel Convention, which regulates shipments of hazardous waste at international level. The proposal reduces procedures and lists of waste from three to two

The Commission´s proposal introduces clarifications on the application and implementation of the current Regulation. The proposal does not change the basic logic of the current Regulation – namely that shipments of waste must follow specific procedures, which depend on the type of waste shipped, whether it is hazardous waste or not, and the type of treatment that will be applied to the waste at its destination: recovery or disposal.

Main new provisions

The main procedure envisaged under the proposal is a procedure requiring prior written notification and consent for all shipments of waste destined for disposal, and of hazardous (like asbestos) and semi-hazardous waste (like ashes and other residues containing metals) destined for recovery. Under the current Regulation there are two procedures for such shipments, one is based on tacit and the other one on written consent. The proposal abolishes the tacit consent procedure, so that the procedure requiring written consent will become the main procedure. This simplification ensures proper control of hazardous waste as required under the Basel Convention, and minimises uncontrolled shipments of hazardous waste.

The proposal is available on the Commission´s website at the following address:

http://www.europa.eu.int/comm/environment/waste/shipments/index.htm