Importing and exporting waste materials (EWSR)
Do you want to export or import waste, or transport it through an EU country? You must observe the European Waste Shipment Regulation (EWSR, or Europese Verordening Overbrenging Afvalstoffen EVOA). The EWSR also applies if you want to transfer waste materials to other parts of the world, bring waste to the EU, or transport it through the EU from other parts of the world. The EWSR does not apply to the transport of waste within the Netherlands.
Procedures for waste transport
The procedure you have to comply with depends on:
- the way in which the waste is to be processed: disposal or recovery?
- the country of origin and the destination country
- the transport route
Procedure check
Use the online tool of the Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate (ILT) to check which procedures for waste transport you need to comply with (in Dutch).
Notification of waste transport
Before you transport waste across the border, you must conclude a contract with the recipient of the waste. For some types of waste, you also need permission from the countries you travel through. You can find more information about the types of waste that require notification in Article 4 of the EWRS.
You must start the notification in the country in which the transport starts. If it starts in the Netherlands, you should submit your EWSR notification to the ILT. If the EWSR notification is correct and complete, ILT will inform the other countries involved in your transport. Only if you have received permission for the transport from all relevant authorities, you may transport the waste. Whether you get permission depends on the purpose (disposal or recovery) and national waste management schemes.
Notification and movement documents
For each transport, you must submit notifications to all relevant authorities.
You can notify the Dutch authorities through ILT by sending an email to etm@ilent.nl. You will need a movement document for each notification. To submit the notifications and complete the movement document correctly, you can follow the ILT's guidelines for completing an EWSR movement document.
All movement documents must be kept for at least 5 years, together with the notification and the accompanying documentation.
EWSR notification and transport reporting
Since 21 May 2026 1, you have to submit your EWSR notification and your transport notification via DIWASS. You can no longer use MijnILT or the DNA Tool. You can request access to DIWASS from the European Commission. Read more about DIWASS at the ILT (in Dutch).