Publications » Position papers » Contribution of the waste shipment regulation to EU ambitions on circularity and climate
Contribution of the waste shipment regulation to EU ambitions on circularity and climate
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The release of the Communications by the European Commission on the EU Green Deal and the New Circular Economy shed a new light on how the EU can achieve its goals towards resource efficiency and climate. The EU Green Deal mentioned that “EU should stop exporting its waste outside of the EU and will therefore revisit the rules on waste shipments and illegal exports”.
The Communication also stressed that the access to resources is also a strategic security question for Europe’s ambition to deliver the Green Deal. More precisely, the EU Green Deal pointed out that ensuring the supply of sustainable raw materials necessary for clean technologies, by diversifying supply from both primary and secondary sources, is one of the pre-requisites to make the green transition (even more in the COVID-19 context) happening.
Moreover, the New Circular Economy Action plan aims at these objectives in particular via thefollowing two actions: (1) creating a wellfunctioning EU market for secondary raw materials; (2) addressing waste exports – which are losses of resources and economic opportunities for the recycling industry in the EU through the review of the Waste Shipment Regulation aiming at restricting exports of waste that can be treated domestically within the EU.
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Brussels, 11 September 2025 – The lack of a solution for steel in the EU-U.S. trade negotiations, the ongoing unpredictability of the global geoeconomic situation, and persistently weak demand against an ever-growing global steel overcapacity are squeezing the European steel market. In 2025, the outlook points to stagnation, with potential recovery only in 2026 — conditional on improvements in the global economy and an easing of trade tensions. According to EUROFER’s latest Economic and Steel Market Outlook, another recession both in apparent steel consumption (-0.2%, revised upwards from -0.9%) and in steel-using sectors (-0.7%, revised downwards from -0.5%) is confirmed for 2025. Growth prospects are now delayed at least to 2026, with projections of a rebound for both apparent steel consumption (+3.1%) and steel-using sectors (+1.8%). However, steel imports continue to hold historically high market shares (25%) in 2025.
Third quarter 2025 report. Data up to, and including, first quarter 2025
Brussels, 10 September 2025 – Reacting to today’s State of the Union Address delivered by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Axel Eggert, Director General of the European Steel Association (EUROFER) said: