Apply for a licence to export ‘green’ waste for recovery within the EU
You do not require official authorisation (notification) for the cross-border export (shipment) of so-called ‘green’ waste for recovery within the European Union (EU). However, strict general information requirements apply.
Please note: If you wish to export ‘green waste’ to non-EU countries, you should contact the relevant authority directly. Ask them about the applicablenregulations.
For waste on the Yellow Waste List and all other waste intended for disposal, a notification procedure must always be carried out.
The procedure is carried out electronically in accordance with the EU Waste Shipment Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2024/1157). You must enter the transport data into the central European system DIWASS (Digital Waste Shipment System). There is no longer any need to complete a paper-based form. Please note the guidance on the procedure during the transitional period until 31 December 2026.
Responsible authority
- for entering the necessary information and submitting the required declarations via the DIWASS digital system, as well as concluding a legally valid waste disposal contract: the exporter and the consignee of the waste, or the operator of the disposal facility
- for ensuring that the required information is available digitally during transport: the carrier
Details
Prerequisite
The waste is
- intended for recycling,
- listed in the Green Waste List, and
- the quantity of waste exceeds 20 kilograms.
Procedure
The digital processing of the shipment is carried out in the following steps:
As the exporter, you must enter into a legally valid disposal contract with the recipient of the waste, which also obliges them to take the waste back if the intended disposal cannot be completed or if the shipment was illegal.
Log in to the electronic system and enter all transport details online into the document in accordance with Annex VII. You must submit the details via the system before the transport begins.
Ensure that the data is accessible digitally during the shipment (or, until 31 December 2026, that a paper copy is carried – see note below).
The receiving facility must acknowledge receipt of the waste electronically in the system within two days of receipt. The facility must confirm the successful recovery of the waste digitally in the system no later than 30 days after the process has been completed.
Note regarding the transitional period until 31 December 2026:
Due to delays in the technical documentation, the DIWASS digital system is not yet fully operational. For the shipment of ‘green’ listed waste, the paper version of the Annex VII document and the other documents required under Article 18 of Regulation (EU) 2024/1157 for such a shipment . The associated breach of the obligation to maintain documents electronically, which has been in force since 21 May 2026, will not be challenged by the competent authorities for the time being. When using the paper-based procedure on a temporary basis, the documents prescribed in Regulation (EU) 2024/1157 since 21 May 2026 must be used. Further information on the procedure during the transitional period can be found on the website of the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Protection, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety.
Deadlines
It is essential that the data transfer is completed before the actual transport begins.
Required documents
- A fully completed document in accordance with Annex VII. The transport-related waste data must be submitted electronically directly via the central European portal DIWASS (or, during the transitional period until 31 December 2026, as a printed document).
- A legally valid disposal contract between the party responsible for the shipment (exporter) and the consignee (recovery facility). This must, without exception, contain the legal clauses regarding the obligation to take back waste in the event of illegal shipments.
- Proof of the main identification number, specifying the EORI number (for Europe-wide data matching in the DIWASS system) or, alternatively, the nationally standardised business identification number. Without this verified identifier, digital recording of the shipment is not possible.
Costs
none
Processing time
None
Once you have fully entered and submitted the document in accordance with Annex VII in the DIWASS system, the process becomes active immediately. Transport can begin straight away.
Miscellaneous
Waste may only be imported and exported via specific customs offices.
A list of all eligible customs offices can be found on the website of the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection.
Detailed information
- Einführung der digitalen Verfahren der Abfallverbringung
- Informationen zum digitalen Meldesystem DIWASS der SAA Sonderabfallagentur Baden-Württemberg GmbH
- Welche Abfälle wie eingestuft werden, können Sie in den Konsolidierten Abfalllisten der Anlaufstelle Basler Übereinkommen nachlesen.
- Rechtliche Grundlagen der grenzüberschreitenden Abfallverbringung beim Umweltbundesamt (UBA)
Legal basis
Verordnung (EU) 2024/1157 über die Verbringung von Abfällen (Abfallverbringungsverordnung – VVA) in Verbindung mit der Verordnung (EG) Nr. 1013/2006
Abfallverbringungsgesetz (AbfVerbrG)
Release note
machine generated, based on the German release by: Umweltministerium Baden-Württemberg, 07.08.2026