The EU member states' representatives unanimously approved the revised EU Waste Shipment Regulation (WSR) at their Environment Council meeting on Monday, closing the adoption procedure. The Regulation will now be signed by the presidents of the EU Parliament and Council and then be published in the EU’s Official Journal. It will enter into force on the twentieth day following publication, but the application of many of its provisions will only begin after a transition period of 24 months after the publication date.
Among other changes, the revised WSR will tighten the requirements for exports of non-hazardous waste destined for recycling or recovery in countries that are not members of the OECD, and require the quantities of waste shipped from the EU to other OECD countries to be monitored by the EU Commission. In a joint statement to the minutes of the Council, Bulgaria, Ireland and the Netherlands stress the importance of ensuring compliance with international trade rules.
The European Waste Management Association (FEAD) described improving the efficiency of the administrave procedures related to transboundary waste shipments as one of its top priorities in a statement released after the Council vote. The umbrella organisation called on the EU member states to ensure that notifications can be processed in a timely manner "so that we can overcome the long and persistent delays we are currently facing".
Read more here......
