European Commission Directorate-General for Trade

Shipment of non hazardous waste

The world-wide trade in non-hazardous waste materials such as metals, paper and plastics is huge. OECD countries exported around 5million tonnes of paper waste, 4 million tonnes of metal waste and half a million tonnes of recovered plastics in 2007.

The EU Waste Shipment Regulation (No 1013/2006) establishes the control procedures for transporting waste within, into and out of the EU. The aim is to ensure a high level of environmental and human health protection, while at the same time safeguarding trading rights. This Regulation implements into EU law the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal and the OECD Decision on Control of cross-border movements of waste destined for recovery operations.

The Regulation covers shipments of all types of waste, for final disposal or for recovery. Among waste for recovery, the non-hazardous waste (so-called "green list waste") represents a useful secondary source raw material.

Green list waste for recovery

Exports of green list waste for recovery are regulated by EU Regulation (No 1418/2007)which reflects the procedures chosen by importing countries. The Commission periodically updates this implementing regulation by transposing information received from the countries concerned.

On 08 July 2011 the Commission adopted Regulation No 661/2011 reflecting new indications provided by third countries on the procedures applicable to exports of non-hazardous waste to certain non-OECD countries.

Further updates to the implementing regulation are taking place on the basis of a questionnaire sent to importing countries, where each country should indicate their choices regarding shipment of waste for recovery, according to a four column lay-out as recommended in the consolidated version of Commission Regulation (EC) 1418/2007. Countries wishing to update or submit their position should fill in this questionnaire and contact us.

Mixtures of wastes

On 15 April 2009 the Commission adopted Regulation No. 308/2009 simplifying the procedures necessary for the export of certain mixtures of non-hazardous wastes. For the applicable entries of this new regulation, a second questionnaire was sent to all countries of destination concerned, which were invited to indicate their choices of the control procedures follow the options of the four-column questionnaire as reflected in the consolidated version of Commission Regulation (EC) 1418/2007.