European Parliament approves updated rules on the Waste Shipment Directive

Article summary

The European Parliament has approved the updated rules on Regulation (EC) No 1013/2006 (Waste Shipment Directive). This will introduce a stricter regime for rules on exporting waste to third countries whereby plastic waste exports to non-OECD countries will be prohibited within two and a half years after the Directive’s entry into force. Within the EU, information and data on waste shipments would be stored in a central electronic hub to improve reporting and transparency. The update rules also establish an enforcement group to improve cooperation between EU countries to detect and prevent illegal shipments.