Germany's government has submitted a bill to replace its Waste Shipment Act and align national implementation provisions with the European waste-shipment regulation, the Bundestag reported on 3 November. A first reading is expected on Thursday evening.
Bill 21/8866 addresses electronic transmission and exchange of information and revised administrative fines. A common electronic system is intended to make waste flows easier to trace and administrative procedures more efficient. Those are the stated aims, rather than demonstrated results.
The parliamentary report distinguishes the European regulation from its implementation in Germany. Following a two-year transition period, the EU regulation has generally applied since 21 May 2026, with exceptions for individual provisions. The German bill has not yet been adopted as law.
According to the Bundestag's summary, exports of plastic waste to non-OECD countries are scheduled to be banned from 21 November 2026 for two and a half years. From May 2027, waste exports to those countries are also to require the destination country's explicit consent and evidence of environmentally sound processing. The report describes those deadlines as part of the European rules.
The German proposal concerns the accompanying procedural and enforcement provisions. Its next announced parliamentary step is the first reading. The report does not announce passage or an effective date for the German legislation.