The EWSR notification procedure

The European Waste Shipment Regulation, EWSR is known as Europese Verordening Overbrenging Afvalstoffen, EVOA in the Netherlands.

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According to Article 2(15) of the EWSR, if you want to ship waste from the Netherlands to or through another Member State of the European Union (EU) you are a 'kennisgever' (notifier). As notifier, you first determine which procedure applies to your waste shipment (see  Welke procedure geldt voor uw afvaltransport (in Dutch). You are also obliged under the kennisgevingsplicht (notification requirement) to provide information on the waste shipment to the competent authorities involved. The notifier must be one of these persons or authorities, selected in the order indicated:

1. 1st producer
2. licensed new producer
3. licensed collector
4. registered dealer
5. registered broker
6. holder (only when 1 to 5 are unknown or cannot act as notifier).

The EWSR notification

Notification document

The EWSR notification document is an official document marked with a unique notification number. The authorities of the receiving country assess whether to give consent to the waste shipment based on the notification document and the information that it contains.

Apply for an EWSR notification document in the country where the waste shipment starts 

You apply for an EWSR notification document from the authority of the country where the waste shipment starts.

• If the shipment starting point is in the Netherlands you submit your notification document to the Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate (ILT).
• If the starting point is another Member State of the EU, for example Belgium, then apply for notification to the Belgian authority.

Competent authorities outside the Netherlands

Many parties are involved in the implementation of the EWSR. If you are looking for the competent authorities outside the Netherlands go to one of the following websites:

• EU Member States:
  Go to Implementation of Waste Shipment Regulation on the European Commission’s website for contact details for Competent Authorities in Member States
• Countries operating under the Basel Convention:
  Use the Basel Convention Country Contacts filter tool on the Basel Convention website.

EWSR notification language of application

Each competent authority concerned may decide in which language you submit the notification application and related information or documentation. The Netherlands accepts applications and annexes in Dutch, English and German.

Consult the European Commission’s Communication and Information Resource Centre for Administrations, Businesses and Citizens (CIRCABC) website for a list of languages other Member States accept.

Mandatory annexes

You must always enclose the following annexes with the application for a notification document:

• Financiële zekerheid (financial security)
  Before the ILT can issue a notification document, financial security must be provided by the notifier. This can take the form of a bankgarantie (bank guarantee) or by paying a borgsom (security deposit) into the ILT's bank account. Read more about the conditions for financial security for waste shipments at Voorwaarden en hoogte borg afvaltransport (in Dutch). You will also find examples of a bank guarantee there. You can determine the amount for the bank guarantee or deposit using the Borgtool (in Dutch).

• Contract between kennisgever (notifier) and ontvanger (consignee) 
  As a notifier, you must provide a contract with the consignee. The ILT has examples of standard contracts that you can use for this purpose. The standard contracts are available in Dutch, English and German. You can read more about the contract in Appendix 2 of the Guidelines for completing an EWSR notification document. Contract templates can be found at EWSR sample documents, tools and guides.
• Information about waste, routes and carriers
  You must provide information on the waste (origin, composition and processing) and on the shipment (route and carriers). More information about these annexes can be found in Part 3, Appendix 3, 4 and 5 of the Guidelines for completing an EWSR notification document.
  In certain situations, you must send additional annexes, for example a authorisations, list of carriers or proof of Vooraf goedgekeurde inrichting, VGI-status (pre-consented recovery facility status, in Dutch). The corresponding field in Part I of the Guidelines indicates what information may be required.

Assessment, verification and consent from authorities involved in the shipment

The authorities concerned assess the notification you have submitted. If necessary, the authorities will ask additional questions. The process from submission to decision can take 3 to 4 months.

Verification from authorities involved

The country of dispatch informs all other countries concerned in block 15 of the notification document (country of dispatch, transit and receipt). All involved authorities check that your EWSR notification complies with the laws and regulations. Only the receiving country sends anacknowledgement of receipt. This happens once the notification is marked as complete.

Consent after final decisions

The authority of the country of dispatch issues a decision within 30 days of the confirmation of receipt. If the waste facility holds a pre-consented recovery facility status, a period of 7 working days applies. 

You may not ship the waste until all authorities involved have issued a positive decision. A transit country may choose not to actively issue a positive decision but provide tacit consent. Only once you have received consent from all the authorities involved can you start transporting waste across national borders. 

Go to the Guidelines for completing an EWSR notification document for more information on registering a waste shipment notification under the EWSR.

Importing waste from a country outside the European Community

When importing waste from a country outside the European Community to a processor in the Netherlands you need to provide financial guarantee. You must provide a copy of the deposit, bank guarantee or insurance and a statement from the authority of dispatch showing that the deposit is has been received as well as a calculation of the deposit amount.