Most provisions of the EU’s revised Waste Shipment Regulation entered into force on 21 May, including an electronic platform to digitally process waste shipments and additional measures to support recycling in the EU and better scrutiny on export of plastic waste.
The Digital Waste Shipment System (DIWASS) electronic platform is expected to transform how waste is tracked across the EU, ensuring greater transparency, efficiency, and security in cross-border waste movements.
All waste shipments are now subject to the prior informed consent (PIC) procedure (covering hazardous waste, mixed municipal waste, waste destined for disposal, and contaminated waste), which must be processed digitally through DIWASS.
The launch of DIWASS will boost the resilience of EU industry by ensuring the secure and efficient circulation of waste within the single market and facilitating recycling into secondary materials.
It will also cut red tape for businesses and authorities, saving an estimated €1.4 million per year in administrative costs, at the same time as combating illegal waste trade, which undermines Europe’s resource security and environmental goals. Compliance with automated data submission and real-time shipment tracking will be accelerated, too.
DIWASS also simplifies procedures for all stakeholders. For businesses, it means:
- Faster processing of notifications, reducing delays at the borders.
- Simplified reporting, with automated data submission.
- Greater legal certainty, thanks to real-time access to shipment status.
For authorities, DIWASS provides:
- Instant access to shipment data, thus improving enforcement.
- More efficient handling of notifications, reducing bureaucratic delays.
- Better data collection for EU reporting obligations.
While PIC procedures may now only be executed electronically, the EU and its Member States agreed to a flexible approach for green-listed waste (non-hazardous waste destined for recovery). Under this approach, operators may continue to use the old paper procedure until 31 December 2026, allowing additional time to adapt to digitalisation, while ensuring continuity of cross-border recycling flows.
In addition to the launch of DIWASS, the following measures also enter into application today:
- A simplified PIC (Prior Informed Consent) process to speed up approvals by Member State authorities of shipments of hazardous and other “notified” waste to another EU Member State.
- Reinforcement of the “fast-track procedure” for waste sent to pre-consented EU facilities for recovery.
- Stricter rules on the export of plastic waste: From today, all plastic waste exports to third countries will require PIC approval. As a next step, from 21 November 2026, exports of plastic waste from the EU to non-OECD countries will be banned, ensuring better management of plastic waste globally.
Waste shipments | European Commission
