Beginning in 2025, transboundary movements of all types of e-waste will be subject to the prior notification and consent procedure. The stepped-up controls are mandated by amendments to the Basel Convention which were agreed at the recent Conference of the Parties (COP15) in June. Under the default procedure, these Basel amendments would have been automatically incorporated into the Annexes of the OECD Decision on Shipments of Waste for Recovery. But because an objection was filed by member government in August, "a process is currently underway to prepare an alternative proposal," according to the OECD.
It is against this background, that EERA and FEAD, the European umbrella organisations of WEEE recyclers and the private waste management industry, have issued a joint statement saying that it is crucial that the EU Commission "bring the need for clear and efficient shipment rules to the negotiating table". The tightening of the transboundary shipment rules in 2025 is expected to lead to "an enormous increase in the number of previous informed consent (PIC) applications", making it critical to update and improve the procedure....
