EU environment ministers give green light to new waste shipping regulations

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New shipping regulations are set to go through the European Union legislative process after getting backing from environment ministers from across Europe.

At the EU Environment Council, ministers from across Europe including Environment Secretary Owen Paterson and Energy and Climate Change Secretary Ed Davey, debated the proposal to amend the waste shipment regulations to tighten restrictions on illegal shipments.

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Under the proposals, measures will be introduced that will ensure a more uniform implementation of the waste shipment regulation throughout the EU, through inspection planning requirements for waste shipments and the possibility for the national competent authority to require evidence from suspected illegal waste exporters in order to check the legality of waste shipments.

In a statement, the Council of Europe said: “Ministers welcomed the proposal and recognised the need to improve measures to address illegal shipments of waste.

“While they broadly supported inspection planning, they also underlined the need to consider further the level of detail to be included in the plans to strike the right balance among the aim of the legislation, the national situations and the costs of implementation.

“Furthermore, the minister expressed doubts about the publication of inspection plans as this could be an advantage to those involved in illegal shipments, to the detriment of the objectives of the legislation.”