Establishing criteria for shipments of waste for disposal

Question for written answer E-001648/2026
to the Commission
Rule 144
Sirpa Pietikäinen (PPE)

Regulation (EU) 2024/1157[1] on shipments of waste imposes a ban on intra-EU shipments of waste destined for disposal. The ban applies to all disposal operations, including shipments bound for hazardous waste incineration, which may be needed for the safe treatment of waste due to lack of national capacity.

The relevant authorities may consent to shipments for disposal, if the conditions under Article 11 of the Regulation are fulfilled. These conditions state that the notifier must demonstrate that the waste cannot be recovered/disposed of in a 'technically feasible and economically viable manner' in the country where it was generated. By 21 May 2027, the Commission must adopt an implementing act setting out detailed criteria for uniformly applying the conditions, specifying how notifiers are to demonstrate the lack of technical feasibility and economic viability for recovery/disposal of waste in the country it originated in and how the authorities are to assess this.

However, the ban will already be applied from 21 May 2026. According to European waste operators, the planned date for adopting the implementing act (May 2027) could risk differing national interpretations of the above requirements causing market distortion due to lack of clear EU rules.

What actions is the Commission taking to prepare the implementing act as soon as possible to guarantee that this EU law is uniformly applied?

Submitted: 22.4.2026

• [1] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/1157/oj.