On Wednesday 29 April, the European Commission adopted a proposal for a regulation to authorise the export of mixed municipal waste to Switzerland, despite a ban laid down in European regulations on waste shipments.
The text (https://aeur.eu/f/lqt ) proposes amending Regulation 2024/1157 on waste shipments, which was to prohibit the export of mixed municipal waste to third countries, including Switzerland, from 21 May 2026. This ban would have forced Member States to redirect this waste to facilities further away in the EU (increasing costs and CO2 emissions).
200,000 tonnes of waste are currently exported to Switzerland every year, mainly from border regions such as Austria (Vorarlberg), Germany (Baden-Württemberg), France and Italy. Transport to Switzerland (often by rail) is up to ten times shorter than to alternative sites in the EU. 1,400 tonnes of CO2 could be saved every year by maintaining exports to Switzerland.
This derogation will apply only to Switzerland, and export for landfill or incineration without energy recovery will remain prohibited. The text will be negotiated between the EU Council and the European Parliament. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)