SteelOrbis has learned that the European Commission is in the process of reviewing the EU rules on waste shipments as part of its circular economy strategy, and in this context it is considering restricting or even banning exports.
"We will know more about the options retained for the revision of the waste shipment regulation once the proposal amending it will be published normally during the first semester of 2021," Emmanuel Katrakis, secretary general of the European Recycling Industries' Confederation (EuRIC) has told SteelOrbis.
A ban on export of the materials that are classified as waste is among the options considered ahead of the preparation of the revision of the regulation in question, according to well-informed sources.
Nevertheless, it usually takes at least a year before any proposal is adopted by the European Parliament and the Council of the EU representing member states.
According to Mr. Katrakis, "EuRIC fully supports sustainable trade of raw materials, but is opposed to an export ban on metal scrap, which is a valuable commodity priced and traded globally."
EuRIC, representing the European recycling industry, has been calling for a distinction between unprocessed/untreated metal scrap and processed commodity scrap.
The EU is the world's largest steel scrap exporter. In the January-September period of this year it shipped 9.872 million mt of scrap to Turkey, i.e., 11.6 percent more compared to the same period last year.