Key takeaway
What This Development Means
The European Commission has published a draft list of non-OECD destinations authorised to receive specified non-hazardous European Union waste for recovery from 21 May 2027. Authorisation is country and waste-code specific, and some shipments require prior consent. The draft is not final, so exporters should map routes but retain current procedures until adoption.
Can exporters rely on the draft list now?
No. The document is a draft delegated regulation. Existing waste-shipment law remains applicable until a final act is adopted, published and reaches its application date. Companies may use the draft for planning, but not as a present export authorisation.
Does inclusion of a country authorise every non-hazardous waste?
No. Authorisation is limited to the codes and descriptions listed for that destination, with either prior written notification and consent or Article 18 documentation. Facility licensing, recovery destination and other shipment conditions must also be satisfied.
Source basis: Draft Commission Delegated Regulation Ares(2026)8856013
EU Non-OECD Waste Export List Is Proposed
The European Commission has published a draft EU non-OECD waste export list that would determine which specified non-hazardous wastes may be shipped from the European Union for recovery after 21 May 2027. The draft delegated regulation is required under Regulation (EU) 2024/1157 on shipments of waste.
From that date, exports covered by the general prohibition will be lawful only where both the destination and the relevant waste are included in the Commission list. The proposal is not yet a final regulation. Current shipment rules therefore continue while the delegated act is completed and published.
Country And Waste-Code Conditions Determine Access
Thirty-two countries and territories submitted requests, including India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Morocco, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Tunisia, Ukraine and Viet Nam. Inclusion is not a blanket approval for all waste sent to a listed country.
The annex uses Basel or Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development entries, European List of Waste codes, Harmonised System codes and detailed descriptions. It also states whether prior written notification and consent applies. Where it does not, Article 18 general information requirements continue to govern the shipment.
The Commission accepted many requests for paper, textile, rubber, wood, glass, mineral and agricultural or food-industry wastes. Several requests for metal waste were rejected because the evidence did not demonstrate environmental and health protection equivalent to European Union requirements. Serbia and Ukraine are among the destinations authorised in the draft for specified metal streams, while numerous other countries receive more limited approvals.
What Applies Later And What Exporters Should Do Now
The final regulation is intended to apply from 21 May 2027 and would enter into force 20 days after Official Journal publication. Listed waste must go to a domestically licensed recovery facility. It cannot be routed through interim operations unless subsequent recovery remains within eligible countries for the relevant waste.
Exporters should map every route by destination, waste code, description, contamination profile and recovery facility. Contracts and booking systems should identify whether prior consent or Article 18 documentation applies. Importing-country restrictions, carrier acceptance and other Basel Convention controls also remain relevant.
What remains unchanged is the prohibition on hazardous and other excluded waste streams, together with duties on classification, traceability and environmentally sound management. The Commission must update the list at least every two years and may remove a country if continued compliance is not demonstrated.
Foresight analysis: the new regime creates authorised corridors rather than approved countries. A destination may accept one paper stream without being eligible for similar metal, plastic or mixed waste, making code-level master data essential to commercial route planning.
Related Foresight coverage explains the EU waste framework agreement, the extractive-waste topic and European Economic Area regulatory news.
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