Europe no longer wants to send its waste to Morocco

The office of Stéphane Séjourné, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission, announced on Friday that it was preparing a delegated act based on the European regulation on waste shipments. The text would ban waste exports, particularly aluminium waste, to non-OECD countries, with the exception of certain states that are candidates for accession to the European Union, Reuters reports.

Brussels had initially been considering trade measures limited to aluminium waste. This option was abandoned after internal discussions showed that it would cover only about half of the exports concerned. The Commission therefore chose to work on a broader mechanism, independent of trade instruments.

Morocco’s request called into question

This approach directly threatens the request submitted by Morocco to continue importing certain non-hazardous European waste. The kingdom is one of the 24 non-OECD countries that sought authorisation from the European Commission before the 21 February 2025 deadline.

The regime currently planned is to introduce, as of 21 May 2027, a general ban on exports of non-hazardous waste to non-OECD countries, except for those included on a European list after demonstrating their ability to process it under environmentally sound conditions. The first list must be established no later than 21 November 2026, the European Commission specifies.

If the new delegated act is adopted in the terms announced, this exception would no longer benefit Morocco. However, the draft must be submitted to a public consultation before possible adoption by the end of the year. No new general ban has therefore yet entered into force.