On Thursday 21 May, most of the new provisions added to the EU Waste Shipment Regulation (WSR) in 2024 entered into application. They include the start of the mandatory use of Diwass (Digital Waste Shipment System), the EU’s electronic platform for the digital processing of administrative procedures related to the export and import of waste.
The prior notification and consent procedure for transfrontier shipments within the EU is intended to become simpler and faster from now on. The "fast-track procedure" for waste sent to pre-consented EU facilities for recovery has been reinforced, according to the EU Commission. By contrast, specific waste streams are now subject to stricter rules if shipped across borders, particularly to third countries.
"These new rules will foster the EU's transition to a circular economy and represent a decisive step towards fully digitalised waste shipment procedures", the EU Commission commented on Thursday. "By improving the traceability and availability of secondary raw materials, as well as reducing reliance on third-country imports of primary raw materials, they will contribute to strengthening the EU's strategic autonomy. It will also ensure that waste exported from the European Union is treated in an environmentally sustainable way", the EU authority said.
EU Environment Commissioner Jessika Roswall said that access to raw materials was not merely an economic issue in today’s geopolitical landscape but "a strategic imperative". Diwass would help Europe take control of its own resource flows and turn waste into a secure, sustainable source of critical raw materials, "This is how we build a resilient, self-reliant Europe while cutting red tape and fighting illegal trade,” Roswall said.
€1.4 million in annual administrative cost savings
Eric Mamer, the European Commission’s Director-General for Environment, also said in a LinkedIn post that the new digital system would support the fight against illegal shipments of waste. He also pointed out that it would save businesses and authorities an estimated €1.4m per year in administrative costs.
According to the European Commission, around 26 million tonnes of waste subject to the notification procedure were shipped across borders within the EU in 2024. The intra-EU trade in "non-notified" green-listed wastes such as recovered paper amounted to 50 million tonnes.
The Commission also published an updated user manual for operators and competent authorities on notification documents in Diwass. It can be accessed here.
"Flexible approach" for shipments of green-listed waste until year's end
However, technical preparations for the Diwass system had been delayed, leading to calls for its postponement, and meaning that companies could only start registering on the platform in March. The Commission therefore recommended at the end of that month that a "flexible approach" be taken with regard to shipments of waste not subject to the notification procedure. Competent authorities in the member states could continue to accept the Annex VII form required for such shipments in paper form until the end of 2026. By contrast, there is no transitional arrangement for notifiable shipments.
Trade associations renew calls for abolition of "two-day rule"
Recycling and waste management industry associations expressed hopes on Thursday that the digitalisation of administrative procedures would improve efficiency, transparency and traceability of shipments of waste. At the same time, however, they underlined the need for a practical approach.
Both the European waste management association FEAD and Recycling Europe renewed their calls for the abolition of the "two-day rule", which requires companies to enter planned Annex VII shipments into Diwass two days before departure. According to FEAD, this obligation creates disproportionate logistical constraints and administrative burdens and conflicts with the EU’s broader objectives of internal market efficiency and the circular economy.
Further restrictions on plastic waste exports
Stricter rules for exports of plastic waste from the EU to third countries also entered into force on 21 May. All shipments from EU member states to countries outside the Union are now subject to the notification procedure.
The rules will be tightened further from 21 November 2026 with a complete ban on EU waste plastics exports to non-OECD countries. The ban will remain in place for at least two and a half years and can only subsequently be lifted by the European Commission on a case-by-case basis following an application by the respective state.
As part of this application, the countries concerned will have to provide comprehensive evidence that they have adequate capacity for the environmentally sound recycling of imported plastic waste.
