Importing and exporting waste materials (EVOA)

Published by:
Netherlands Enterprise Agency, RVO
Netherlands Enterprise Agency, RVO

Do you want to export or import waste, or transport it through an EU Member State? You must observe the European Waste Shipment Regulation (EWSR, or in Dutch,EVOA). The EWSR also applies if you want to transfer waste materials to other parts of the world, bring waste to the EU, or transport it through the EU from other parts of the world.

Procedures for waste transport

The procedure you have to comply with depends on:

  • the type of waste (is it on the green or amber list?)
  • the way in which the waste is to be processed (removal or recycling)
  • the country of origin and the destination country
  • the transport route

Notification of waste transport

Before you transport waste across the border, you must conclude a contract with the recipient of the waste. For some types of waste, you also need permission from the countries you travel through. You can find more information about the types of waste that require notification in Article 3 of the EVOA.

You must notify the country in which the transport starts, if it starts in the Netherlands, you should contact ILT. If the notification is correct and complete, ILT will inform the other countries involved in your transport. Only if you have received permission for the transport from all relevant authorities, you may transport the waste. Whether permission is given depends on the purpose (removal or recycling) and national waste management schemes.

Transport notification

For each transport, you must submit 3 transport notifications to all relevant authorities:

  • An issue notification.
  • A receipt notification.
  • A certificate of waste material processing.

You can notify the Dutch authorities through ILT by sending an email to etm@ilent.nl.

Waste disposal charge

If your company dumps or burns refuse from abroad, you will have to pay a waste disposal charge. This tax has been introduced as a result of the Urgenda court ruling. The charge is the same as for waste originating in the Netherlands.