New EU Waste Shipment Regulation and Digital Waste Shipment System (DIWASS)

Key Changes and Important Deadlines for Operators

The new Waste Shipment Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2024/1157) entered into force on 21 May 2024 to modernise and update the EU rules on shipments of waste, and will progressively replace the current Waste Shipment Regulation (Regulation (EC) 1013/2006). It aims to:

Facilitate shipments of waste for re-use and recycling within the EU
Prevent the export of environmental problems to third countries
Strengthen controls and tackle illegal shipments
Increase transparency and traceability

The following are key dates for this transition period:

Date	Regulatory Change	Details
21 April 2026	Last date for submitting new PIC notifications under the current WSR	Final deadline for operators to submit new notifications requiring prior informed consent (PIC) under the current Waste Shipment Regulation before the transition to the new rules.
21 May 2026	Mandatory use of DIWASS & new intra‑EU rules	DIWASS becomes mandatory for all submission and exchange of waste‑shipment information. New rules for intra‑EU shipments enter into force. All plastic‑waste exports (to both OECD and non‑OECD countries) become subject to the prior informed consent (PIC) procedure.
21 November 2026	Ban on plastic‑waste exports to non‑OECD countries	Exports of plastic waste to non‑OECD countries are prohibited. Publication of the new list of non‑OECD countries able to receive green‑listed waste from the EU.
21 May 2027	New rules for exports to third countries	New export rules apply for OECD and non‑OECD countries. Exporters must obtain an audit of the receiving facility. Exports to non‑OECD countries allowed only if included on the list published on 21 Nov 2026. Regulation (EU) 1418/2007 ceases to apply.

Main Deadline: 21 May 2026

A central element of the new Waste Shipment Regulation (new WSR) is the introduction of a mandatory EU-wide electronic system for waste shipments. From 21 May 2026, all new waste shipment procedures must be carried out through the Digital Waste Shipment System (DIWASS).

From this date:

All notifications subject to the Prior Informed Consent (PIC) procedure must be submitted through DIWASS.
All Annex VII (Article 18) shipments (green-listed waste) must be managed electronically.

Therefore, operators are strongly encouraged to begin preparations well in advance.

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What is DIWASS?

DIWASS is the central electronic platform developed by the European Commission for the submission and exchange of information related to waste shipments across the EU.

It enables:

Registration of operators and facilities
Digital submission of notifications subject to PIC procedure and Annex VII documents
Tracking of deadlines and requests for additional information
Management of pre-consented facilities including a dedicated register
Secure authentication

Operators established in Malta will access DIWASS directly through the Commission’s web interface. A link to access the DIWASS testing environment will be provided after the first training session.

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What operators must do before 21 May 2026?

All operators involved in waste shipments must:

Register in DIWASS

This includes:

Notifiers
Waste producers
Consignees
Treatment facilities
Waste carriers
All third-country operators involved in shipments with EU actors

Registration will require:

EU Login account
EORI number, e-ID Number, Voluntary Organisation Number or VAT number (where applicable)
Company registration number
Environmental permit number (where relevant)

DIWASS will open for registration in the early days of May, each operator must appoint at least one Master User, who will manage additional users.

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Review internal workflows

Operators must:

Identify responsible staff for training and user access purposes
Align internal procedures with digital submission requirements
Make preparations for users who are authorised to carry out authentication (digital signatures)
Ensure timely payment of administrative fees (payment will be carried out via ERA’s payment gateway or bank transfer, in line with existing procedures)
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Familiarise with new procedural requirements

Key changes include:

Submission of notifications directly to all competent authorities via DIWASS
Competent authorities limited to three requests for additional information
Strict timelines for responses (Check Regulation (EU) 2024/1157)
Electronic authentication equivalent to signature
Digital submission of Annex VII documents directly on DIWASS (at least two working days before shipment)
Digital confirmation of receipt of waste
Digital submission of completion of recovery certificate
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Transitional arrangements

Notifications acknowledged by the competent authority of destination before 21 May 2026 under the current WSR will continue to be processed in line with existing rules.

However:

Recovery or disposal must be completed no later than 21 May 2027
Shipments to pre-consented facilities must be completed by 21 May 2029
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ERA DIWASS Helpdesk

The Environment and Resources Authority (ERA) acts as the first point of contact for Maltese operators.

Operational and procedural support will be provided for: