European recycling trade association EuRIC has urged for changes to the audit system for scrap exports proposed under the EU's Waste Shipment Review (WSR) in order to allow better access for small to medium recycling companies.
The European Parliament voted in January to adopt a proposal for a revision to the WSR that will impose controls on scrap metal exports from the bloc to non-OECD countries. One of the main control mechanisms outlined under article 43 of the legislation requires that all sellers of scrap metal to non-OECD countries must ensure the facility receiving the material has been subject to an independent audit that shows the overseas consumer conforms to equivalent environmental standards to the EU.
But some member states are keen to amend this article as it places too much burden on small and medium enterprises (SMEs), according to a revised draft of the legislation seen by Argus. Instead, one member state proposes a register that tracks completed audits, which are then made available to all EU exporters under fair commercial conditions.
This means that SMEs would not be subject to strenuous and potentially financially unfeasible audits, and instead could gain access to an audit of a buyer completed by a larger company.
Under current proposals the facility audit would need to be redone every three years. But some member states have proposed to reduce this to one, which one member state said could interfere with consent periods for shipments.
"Member states must now act by putting a halt to the proposal's most erroneous measures or risk European job losses and recycling facilities — especially SMEs — shutting their doors permanently," EuRIC president Olivier François said.
Member states aim to reach an agreement on their position regarding the WSR before the end of June. Negotiations with parliament on the final legal position will then be able to start, likely to be in the second half of 2023.
Under other proposals in the WSR, the European Commission will update the list of authorised countries that EU-based exporters can ship to every two years.
Some member states have proposed to reduce this to every year and several member states have proposed a quicker procedure for removing countries that do not provide information to be an included authorised country, according to the document.
A yearly review could allow the removal of specific countries that are strategic trading partners to recyclers over a quicker timeframe, but it could also allow the addition of other countries at a swifter rate.
