By Abigail Philip DavidNigeria has formally requested approval from the European Commission to be included in the list of countries eligible to import non-hazardous waste from the European Union.
The request, made alongside 23 other non-OECD nations, follows the EU’s new Waste Shipments Regulation, introduced under the Green Deal and Circular Economy Action Plan. The regulation aims to tighten waste shipment rules and impose stricter controls on exports and imports of waste materials.
Non-hazardous waste, which makes up 95.6% of Europe’s solid waste, includes everyday municipal waste such as packaging, clothing, plastics, and demolition debris like concrete and bricks.
Under the new EU rules, countries seeking approval to import these materials must prove they can manage them in an environmentally sound manner, following standards equivalent to or exceeding EU regulations.
The European Commission stated that as of February 21, 2025, it had received applications from Nigeria, Bangladesh, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Morocco, Pakistan, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Thailand, Tunisia, Ukraine, Vietnam, and others.
The Commission will review these applications and publish a list of approved countries by November 2026. From May 2027, any country not included on the list will be banned from importing waste from the EU.
However, nations that missed the February 2025 deadline can still apply, though there is no guarantee their application will be processed before the first list is finalized.
“The first list of countries authorized to receive waste from the EU will be established by 21 November 2026. Exports of waste to non-OECD countries not included in this list will be prohibited from 21 May 2027,” the European Commission stated.
The list will be updated regularly, at least every two years, ensuring continuous monitoring of compliance with environmental standards.
