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Press Release 012/2005

Better monitoring of transfrontier shipment of waste in future

International agreement for more protection against abuse

Several European countries will step up monitoring activities of transfrontier shipment of waste. This was agreed by delegates from ten European nations during a conference held in Berlin in February. Its objective is to carry out joint and coordinated inspections so as to prevent illegal transfrontier waste shipments. Enforcement activities in the past had shown that established laws governing transfrontier waste movement continue to be breached. These illegal shipments can lead to environmental and health hazards.

Experts from enforcement authorities in Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Finland, Ireland, Croatia, Malta, the Netherlands, Austria, and the Czech Republic agreed on joint inspections at waste collection points, waste treatment facilities, and on shipment routes, as well as upon increasing the exchange of information about certain waste streams. These countries expect other countries to confirm their participation in the cooperative effort shortly. The enforcement authorities that are involved will either establish or expand cooperation with such bodies as custom services and the police.

Initially shipments and facilities will be checked, followed by monitoring of deliveries to disposal sites. This will enable verifying whether the regulations governing transfrontier shipment of waste—from waste collection point to disposal- are complied with.

The results of these checks will be evaluated by spring 2006 and submitted as a report, of which national authorities and the European Commission will receive a copy. The report will analyse monitoring activities and point out overall problems in enforcing them. Furthermore, it will analyse and verify legal shipment.

This latest agreement on joint surveillance is a follow-up project to an enforcement project that was carried out from October 2003 to November 2004, albeit with fewer countries participating. It is being carried out under the umbrella of IMPEL (European Network for the Implementation and Enforcement of Environmental Law), http://ec.europa.eu/environment/impel/index.htm). The project had already detected illegal waste shipments and formulated recommendations to involve other states.
These recommendations have now been heeded. Project management is in the hands of the Netherlands Inspectorate. Contact person is Ms Niekol Dols, tel: (31) 40 265 2911, niekol.dols@minvrom.nl.

In addition to the multilateral project, the Federal Environment Agency is carrying out bilateral inspections in cooperation with the Laender and other authorities such as customs. Negotiations will commence in Poland in March 2005 and will be attended by delegates of the Head Inspectorate for Environmental Protection and the Federal Environment Agency.

Berlin, 4 March 2005