A new Italian decree on the shipping of waste internationally has been criticised by the Bureau of International Recycling (BIR).
As a result, the BIR has officially approached the European Commission and the Italian Environment Minister after having been informed of far-reaching amendments to Italian waste shipment regulations.
The decree adds new requirements to the shipping of recyclables from Italy, including ferrous and non ferrous scrap metals to countries outside of the European Union.
According to the decree of 4 April 2012, each international waste shipment must now be accompanied by a certificate issued by the authorities in the destination country confirming that the environment standards applicable in that country are comparable to those prescribed in the EU.
In its letter to the EU Commission, the BIR expressed strong concern that the amended Italian legislation differs from the EU regulation 2006 on waste shipments which is applicable in all EU member states and which should be enforced in the same manner everywhere in the European Union.
BIR also wrote to the Italian Environment Minister Corrado Cini highlighting the devastating effect of this legislation on Italian operators while jeopardising the supply of steelworks, non ferrous metal smelters, foundries and paper mills around the globe.
