Last week, the European Commission proposed a "targeted and limited" amendment of the Waste Shipments Regulation (WSR) to allow exports of mixed municipal waste from the EU to continue to be sent to Switzerland for recovery.
The revision of the WSR in 2024 introduced a ban on exports of this type of waste from the EU to countries outside of the European Economic Area (EEA), which applies as of 21 May 2026. According to the Commission, the objective of the rule was to "promote the treatment of mixed municipal waste in facilities operating according to EU standards and located near the place where it is generated", in line with the principle of proximity.
Switzerland is a member of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), but not part of the EEA, and would thus be subject to the ban. VBSA, the association representing Swiss waste to energy (wte) plant operators, described the ban on shipments to Switzerland last week as "unintentional collateral damage" and warmly welcomed the Commission’s initiative. ...
