Transboundary waste shipments
The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency provides guidance on the transboundary shipment of waste and the applicable rules and regulations.
The purpose of Regulation 2024/1157 is, among other things, to ensure that waste is sent only to countries where it is treated in an environmentally sound manner, and to increasingly support the EU’s transition to a circular economy.
Target group
This page is intended for those involved in the export or import of waste and used products.
News
Postponement of digitalization for waste subject to general information requirements
Between May 21, 2026, and December 31, 2026, waste subject to information obligations (Annex VII) is to be handled in the same manner as before. The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency will not request any documentation during this period. This applies to all aspects of the information-obligated flow, including the new requirements for prior notification at least two working days before transport, confirmation of receipt, and confirmation of treatment. The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency’s national system will handle waste subject to information obligations starting January 1, 2027.
Change in the application of rules regarding the number of locations from which the shipment starts, effective 1 January 2026
Our new practice means that only one location from which the shipment starts may be specified for shipments covered by a general notification. The location from which the shipment starts is defined as a physical location (address) from which the waste is to be transported. This location may be the site where the waste was produced, treated, or stored. The necessary notifications or permits for handling the waste at the location in question must be in place.
This applies to both shipments out of (export) and into (import) Sweden. As of 1 January 2026, additions of locations from which the shipment starts to prior consented notifications will no longer be accepted; instead, such changes will require a new registration.
Notification consented under Regulation 1013/2006
Notifications decided under Regulation 1013/2006 will not be transferred to the new electronic system; instead, they will remain unchanged, and the waste will be transported in accordance with their approval.
The following applies to these notifications:
- The transport document and the notification documents, including the approval given by the competent authorities, must accompany every shipment. The facility receiving the waste must retain the transport document.
- Information regarding each shipment must also be submitted to the authorities at various stages before and after the transport.
Prior notification
As the notifier, you must provide prior notification of the shipment no later than three days before the scheduled departure. Send a copy of the movement document (Annex IB) to the waste recipient, the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, and the competent authorities of any other countries involved in the shipment.
Annex IC of EC Regulation 1013/2006 contains instructions on how to complete the movement document. If you have provided prior notification for a shipment that does not take place and wish to cancel it, you must contact us by email:
inutavfall@naturvardsverket.se
Movement documents should be emailed to:
Confirmation of receipt
Once the waste has been received at the facility designated for its treatment, this must be confirmed by the notifier and the competent authorities within 3 days. Confirmation is provided by the receiving facility completing and signing box 18 of the transport document and sending the document to the competent authorities of the other countries concerned and to the waste dispatcher.
Transport documents are to be sent to:
transportdokument@naturvardsverket.se
How other competent authorities wish to receive information regarding specific shipments is usually specified in their approvals.
Certification of treatment
Once the waste has been recovered or disposed of, the treatment facility must certify this within 30 days. This is done by completing and signing field 19 of the signed transport document. Copies are sent to the notifier and to the competent authorities concerned. The waste must be treated within one year of receipt.
The transport document is sent to:
transportdokument@naturvardsverket.se
How other competent authorities wish to receive information regarding specific shipments is usually specified in their approvals.
Changes may require a new notification
Article 17 of the Waste Shipment Regulation 1013/2006 allows certain changes to be made after a notification has been approved, provided that all relevant authorities agree. If you wish to make a change, please contact all relevant authorities directly.
You may need to submit a new notification if changes are made to the shipment. This applies to changes such as:
- weight – an increase in weight
- route – if you wish to change the point of entry or exit
- validity period – you may not alter the timeframe specified in the approval yourself.
A new notification is always required if your change involves a new competent authority.
Not following the regulations will have consequences
The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency may revoke approval if you don’t follow the rules for the shipment. We may also deny your approval for future shipments. This may occur if we learn that
- the composition of the waste does not match the details provided in the notification
- the conditions set for the shipment are not met
- the waste is not treated in accordance with the facility’s permit
- the waste is to be, or has been, transported, recovered, or disposed of in a manner inconsistent with the information provided in the notification
- there are repeated failures in the handling of shipment documents.
Other obligations for notifiers and consignees
You are required to
- never mix waste during shipment to the treatment facility
- retain all documentation regarding the transport for 3 years, including communication with authorities and transport documents
- take back the waste if a shipment cannot be completed as planned.
If the relevant competent authorities have specified different validity periods for an approved notification, the shortest common validity period applies as the timeframe during which shipments may take place. Please note that shipments must occur within the validity period of the approvals; that is, the shipment must have arrived at and been accepted by the receiving facility no later than the final day of the validity period.
Annual reporting – information for Swedish operators
An annual report detailing the total quantity of imported/exported waste must be submitted to the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, to be used as a basis for international reporting.
Reporting is done by sending an email to
inutavfall@naturvardsverket.se
specifying the notifications being reported on and the tonnage of waste transported under each notification. If no shipments took place during the preceding year, this must still be reported by submitting data indicating that zero (0) tons were transported.
The report must be submitted to the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency no later than the last day of February of the year following the reporting year. For example, the annual report for 2026 must be submitted by 28 February 2027.
In the case of waste export/outbound shipment, the notifier must submit the data. In the case of waste import/inbound shipment, the recipient must submit the data.
Transport of used goods between countries
The rules concerning the shipments of used goods between countries differ from those applicable to the transport of waste between countries. It can be difficult to determine whether a used item being shipped between countries constitutes waste or not.
The exporter is responsible for showing that the item being shipped is not waste. An item exported as a used good may be classified as waste during inspections by customs or supervisory authorities, in which case the transport may be deemed illegal. More information will be published on this subject.