Waste Shipment Regulation & DIWASS
Digital waste tracking across the EU from May 2026. DIWASS system mandatory for all waste shipment procedures, plus plastic waste export ban to non-OECD countries.
Overview
The Waste Shipment Regulation — Regulation (EU) 2024/1157 — introduces mandatory digital tracking of waste shipments across the EU through the Digital Waste Shipment System (DIWASS), replacing paper-based notification procedures.
Legal basis
- Adopted: April 2024
- Entered into force: 21 May 2024
- General application: 21 May 2026
- Export rules to non-OECD: 21 May 2027
- Replaces: Regulation (EC) 1013/2006
DIWASS (from May 2026)
All waste shipment procedures must use the Digital Waste Shipment System:
- Prior Informed Consent (PIC) notifications submitted electronically
- Green-listed waste (Annex VII) managed digitally
- EU-wide electronic tracking of waste movements
- National authorities must connect to DIWASS
Key changes
- Plastic waste exports to non-OECD countries: Banned from 21 May 2027
- Stricter controls on hazardous waste exports
- Enhanced traceability through mandatory digital documentation
Who is affected
- Notifiers/exporters: Companies initiating the shipment of waste — typically waste producers, collectors, or dealers who submit Prior Informed Consent (PIC) notifications
- Consignees/receivers: Facilities receiving waste for recovery or disposal — must confirm acceptance and report completion through DIWASS
- Carriers: Transporters of waste shipments, who must carry digital documentation and comply with DIWASS tracking requirements
- National competent authorities: Must connect their systems to DIWASS by 21 May 2026
- Any company exporting plastic waste to non-OECD countries — banned from 21 November 2026
Penalties and enforcement
Member States must establish effective, proportionate, and dissuasive enforcement, with a specific emphasis on criminal penalties for serious illegal waste shipment offences. Most EU Member States treat illegal waste shipments as a criminal matter:
- Criminal penalties apply in the majority of Member States for intentional illegal waste shipments — including imprisonment and significant corporate fines
- OLAF (European Anti-Fraud Office) is now directly empowered to support Member State investigations into transnational waste crime
- An EU-wide enforcement group coordinates cross-border enforcement actions
- Failure to use DIWASS for notifiable shipments (from 21 May 2026) constitutes a procedural violation subject to national fines
- Export of plastic waste to non-OECD countries after 21 November 2026 is prohibited and subject to criminal enforcement in most Member States
Basel Convention context
The EU Waste Shipment Regulation implements and exceeds the requirements of the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes (to which all EU Member States are parties). Key alignments:
- The Prior Informed Consent (PIC) procedure reflects Basel Convention Article 6
- The plastic waste export ban aligns with the 2019 Basel Convention amendment restricting plastic waste exports to non-OECD countries
- EU controls go beyond Basel minimum requirements through DIWASS digital tracking and the direct export ban on certain plastics
Relevance to DPP
While DIWASS is a separate system, DPP data supports correct waste classification:
- End-of-life product data from DPPs informs waste classification
- Material composition data supports correct handling
- Both systems aim for digital, transparent product and waste flow tracking
Key dates
| Date | Milestone | |------|-----------| | 21 May 2024 | Entered into force | | 21 May 2026 | DIWASS mandatory for all waste shipments | | 21 November 2026 | Ban on plastic waste exports to non-OECD countries | | 21 May 2027 | Export rules take full effect |