Importing and exporting waste materials

If you want to export or import waste, or to transport it through an EU Member State, you must observe the European Waste Shipment Regulation (EWSR or EVOA in Dutch). The EWSR also applies if you want to transfer waste materials to other parts of the world, or bring waste to the EU or transport it through the EU from other parts of the world. The regulation prescribes a variety of procedures. The procedure you have to comply with depends on:

• the country of origin and the destination country;
• the transport route;
• the way in which the waste is to be processed (removal or recycling);
• the type of waste (is it on the green list or the orange list?).

Types of waste materials

The EWSR applies, in principle, to all imported and exported waste materials. However, the following waste materials are not covered by the EWSR:

• waste materials from ships and offshore platforms which are unloaded onshore;
• radioactive waste;
• waste materials from mineral extraction, for which other regulations apply.

As regards recycling, the EWSR has two different lists of waste materials, namely a green and an orange list. The EWSR also applies to waste materials that are not included in either of these lists: in that case the orange list procedure applies. The lists (including the exceptions) can be obtained via the (Dutch-language) tailor-made advice application (Advies op maat) on the NL Agency website.

Transport notifications

Subsequently you will have to make three transport notifications for every shipment:

• notification of delivery
• consignment notification
• certificate of waste material processing

The transport notifications have to be made with all involved agencies.

Rules in the countries of origin and destination as well as in the transit countries

Whether waste transport is permitted depends on rules that apply in the countries of origin and destination as well as in the transit countries. The applicable rules depend on treaties signed by the countries concerned. You can find out which treaties each country has signed and which procedure applies on the (Dutch-language) advice application (Advies op maat) on the NL Agency website.