The Bureau of International Recycling (BIR) has warned its members of significant potential changes to EU recycled metal trade flows following the European Commission's publication of a draft list of non-OECD countries authorized to receive certain non-hazardous waste from the bloc from May 21, 2027.
According to BIR, 24 of the 32 countries and territories assessed by the commission had applied to receive ferrous and/or non-ferrous metal waste. Of these, only five are proposed to be authorized to receive certain metal waste streams, while 19 would not be authorized under the current draft.
The five countries proposed to receive certain metal waste streams are Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Ukraine, as SteelOrbis previously reported. Authorization would not be blanket approval, as individual countries would only be permitted to receive the specific waste streams and codes listed for them in the final regulation.
BIR urges industry to participate in consultation
The Commission has opened a four-week public consultation on the draft, running from September 18 to October 16, 2026. Feedback submitted during this period may lead to changes in the list before its final adoption.
BIR has encouraged its members to assess whether their main destination markets and relevant waste codes are covered and to provide evidence of potential disruption to recycling supply chains. BIR plans to prepare a consolidated industry response and has asked members to provide input by October 9. It also intends to engage with diplomatic missions of countries that applied to continue receiving EU non-hazardous waste but were not authorized for metal waste in the draft.
The first list is scheduled to be adopted by November 21, 2026 and subsequently updated at least every two years. Following Commission adoption, the delegated act will be submitted to the European Parliament and Council, which may object within two months, with the possibility of extending this period by another two months.
