EU Parliament Revises Waste Shipment Regulation

· Waste Shipment Regulation Revision: Vote in EU Parliament Committee

· Future Treaty on Plastic Pollution (INC in Uruguay), the EU waste export restrictions go as far as to include an explicit ban on all plastic waste exports to OECD and non-OECD countries.

· Access to international markets for European recyclers is restricted, policymakers must swiftly adopt mandatory recycled content targets for all materials including metals, paper, textiles, tyres, not only plastics

On 1 December 2022, the European Parliament's Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) voted on its Report on the Waste Shipment Regulation revision. Following the European Commission's initial proposal in November 2021, the European Parliament and EU Council have been examining this proposal in parallel. There are more votes to come in the European Parliament Plenary in January 2023. Thereafter, together with the EU Council, the co-legislators will eventually agree on a joint text to conclude the revision of the Regulation.

Not unrelated to the future Treaty on Plastic Pollution (INC in Uruguay), the EU waste export restrictions go as far as to include an explicit ban on all plastic waste exports to OECD and non-OECD countries.

The European Parliament summarised the Committee Report as follows:

· MEPs agree that EU exports of non-hazardous waste for recovery would be allowed only to those non-OECD countries that give their consent and demonstrate their ability to treat this waste sustainably. The Commission would draw-up a list of such recipient countries, to be updated at least every year.

· The Commission would also monitor waste exports to OECD countries more closely to ensure that they manage waste in an environmentally sound manner as required by the rules and that they do not adversely affect the management of domestic waste in that country.

· Many of the amendments strengthen and support implementation of existing Waste Shipment requirements. The 2006 Regulation had a general obligation that importing facilities should be operated in an environmentally sound manner. With the new amendments, companies and countries will have to prove importing facilities do so.

Rapporteur Pernille Weiss (EPP, DK) said: “Fully utilising waste as a resource should be an essential element of our transition to a circular economy. I am happy that today we could come together in support of a balanced approach on shipments of waste: it ensures safeguards for human and environmental health, while providing the necessary framework for industry to deliver on our ambitions. I hope that in this way, the EU can become a world leader in an innovative, sustainable use of waste.”

Emmanuel Katrakis, EuRIC Secretary General, said: "By failing to distinguish between unprocessed waste and recycled materials in terms of exports, the EU fails to turn the Waste Shipment regulation into an instrument that boosts the transition towards a more circular economy and further unlevels the playing field with extracted raw materials that are not subject to similar restrictions”.

He added: “If access to international markets for European recyclers is restricted, policymakers must swiftly adopt mandatory recycled content targets for all materials including metals, paper, textiles, tyres, not only plastics, and hasten the adoption of EU-wide end-of-waste criteria for streams for which such criteria have still not been defined in EU law."

Ross Bartley, BIR Trade & Environment Director, stated: "The recycling of most materials saves energy and in comparison with primary raw materials there are significantly reduced CO2 emissions. Consuming industries should pay the full market price for recycled materials to support the circular economy and to secure supply and not rely on distorting markets through waste legislation."