Transboundary movements of plastic waste
The sharp increase in illegal transboundary shipments of plastic waste prompted the member states of the Basel Convention to adopt stricter regulations for the control of such waste shipments. These regulations came into force on 1 January 2021.
The VVA (Regulation (EC) No 1013/2006 on shipments of waste) distinguishes between shipments within the EU and shipments to non-EU countries. Within the EU, the code EU3011 applies to selected non-hazardous plastic waste that is virtually free of contamination and other types of waste. As green-listed waste, it can be shipped within the EU without notification. The procedure according to Art. 18 VVA (Annex VII) applies.
...but also in the foreign matter content.
Mixtures of green-listed plastic waste must be explicitly mentioned in Annex IIIA in order to be classified as such. All other plastic waste mixtures are to be classified as notifiable with code EU48. This also applies to plastic waste classified as hazardous to which the code AC300 applies.
Whether plastic waste as defined in entry EU3011 is „virtually free from impurities and other types of waste" can be determined on the basis of national and international specifications. To this end, the Commission is currently preparing Focal Point Guideline 12.
The VVA also lays down further regulations on shipments outside the EU to OECD or non-OECD countries.
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