When arranging waste shipments in, from or through the Netherlands, you must comply with national rules.
The European Waste Shipment Regulation, EWSR is known as Europese Verordening Overbrenging Afvalstoffen, EVOA in the Netherlands.
The following national rules apply to waste shipments in the Netherlands:
- Regeling EG-verordening overbrenging van afvalstoffen (Regulation on the EC waste shipment directive)
- Rijkswaterstaat's Circulair Materialenplan, CMP (Circulair Materials Plan)
- Beleidsregel bestuursrechtelijke handhaving verontreinigd papier- en metaalafval 2026 (Policy Rule on Administrative Enforcement of Regulations Governing Contaminated Paper and Metal Waste 2026)
- Regeling criteria bijproducten kaderrichtlijn afvalstoffen (Regulation on criteria for by-products under the Waste Framework Directive)
Regulation on the EC waste shipment directive
The EWSR is a directly applicable European Union (EU) regulation. Some of its provisions are also set out in national rules in the Netherlands.
The Regulation in the Netherlands implementing the EWSR includes rules on financial guarantees. It also contains an application form for vooraf goedgekeurde inrichting, VGI (pre-consented recovery facility status).
You can find the following documents:
- Regulation on the EC waste shipment directive (consolidated version in Dutch).
- Aanvraag Status Vooraf Goedgekeurde Inrichting (VGI) (Application for pre-consented recovery facility status, in Dutch), Annex II of the Regulation on the EC waste shipment directive.
Circulair Materials Plan
Under the Wet milieubeheer (Environmental Management Act), the authorities in the Netherlands must establish a waste management plan at least once every 4 years. The Circular Materials Plan (in Dutch) meets this requirement. It sets out policy on waste management in the Netherlands. The CMP came into force on 30 December 2025.
It includes policy on the import and export of waste in, from or through the Netherlands.
Policy Rule on Administrative Enforcement of Regulations Governing Contaminated Paper and Metal Waste
Paper, plastic and metal waste that is not contaminated with other materials or waste may be exported as green-listed waste.
Since 21 May 2026, the revised EWSR limits for certain plastic waste have been in place, namely:
- B3011: a maximum contamination level of 2%.
- EU3011: a maximum contamination level of 6%.
As a result, the ILT has amended its 2022 policy rule on administrative enforcement for contaminated paper, plastic and metal waste.
The amended legislation is now called Policy Rule on Administrative Enforcement of Regulations Governing Contaminated Paper and Metal Waste 2026 (in Dutch).
Export of waste electrical and electronic equipment
EU rules on the export of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) are set out for the Netherlands in the Regeling afgedankte elektrische en elektronische apparatuur (Regulation on waste electrical and electronic equipment).
Read more about exporting used electrical and electronic equipment.
Regulation on criteria for by-products under the Waste Framework Directive
The following information relates to the Regulation on criteria for by-products under the Waste Framework Directive: