Publications » Position papers » Contribution of the waste shipment regulation to EU ambitions on circularity and climate
Contribution of the waste shipment regulation to EU ambitions on circularity and climate
Downloads and links
Recent updates
The release of the Communications by the European Commission on the EU Green Deal and the New Circular Economy shed a new light on how the EU can achieve its goals towards resource efficiency and climate. The EU Green Deal mentioned that “EU should stop exporting its waste outside of the EU and will therefore revisit the rules on waste shipments and illegal exports”.
The Communication also stressed that the access to resources is also a strategic security question for Europe’s ambition to deliver the Green Deal. More precisely, the EU Green Deal pointed out that ensuring the supply of sustainable raw materials necessary for clean technologies, by diversifying supply from both primary and secondary sources, is one of the pre-requisites to make the green transition (even more in the COVID-19 context) happening.
Moreover, the New Circular Economy Action plan aims at these objectives in particular via thefollowing two actions: (1) creating a wellfunctioning EU market for secondary raw materials; (2) addressing waste exports – which are losses of resources and economic opportunities for the recycling industry in the EU through the review of the Waste Shipment Regulation aiming at restricting exports of waste that can be treated domestically within the EU.
Download this publication or visit associated links
Brussels, 28 July 2025 — The European steel value chain is at a critical juncture. Deindustrialization is accelerating across both steel production, distribution and processing, threatening the resilience, competitiveness, and long-term sustainability of a sector essential to Europe's strategic autonomy and industrial base.
Brussels, 29 July 2025 – The proposal for a ‘highly effective’ new trade measure to counter global overcapacity and preserve the European steel industry’s capacities, published yesterday by France on behalf of a group of 11 Member States, is a timely initiative. The non-paper sets a clear course towards a comprehensive steel trade measure to replace the current safeguard regime at a critical moment, as the negative impacts of global overcapacity on the European steel industry continue to grow, says the European Steel Association (EUROFER).
Brussels, 28 July 2025 – The deal on tariffs struck by the EU with the U.S. limits the damage in the current circumstances, but the impact on European steel remains dramatic as long as 50% tariffs are still applied. A potential joint action EU-U.S. to address global overcapacity and a possible return to a tariff-rate quota system for EU exports to the U.S., as hinted at by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, are still vague and lack the necessary details to the bring the economic certainty needed by EU steel producers, says the European Steel Association.
The European Steel Association (EUROFER)
172 Avenue de Cortenbergh
1000 Brussels
Belgium
Email: mail@eurofer.eu
Phone: +32 (0) 2 738 79 20
