PROJECTS

Executive Summary

Inspections

During the project four inspection months were organised in February, June and October 2007 and in January 2008. In order to prevent and detect (illegal) waste shipments seventeen countries carried out a total amount of 168 inspections, most of which (65%) transport inspections. During these 168 inspections a total number of almost 14.000 transports were inspected out of which more than 2.000 (15%) concerned transfrontier shipments of waste. From these 2.000 waste shipments more than 300 (15%) turned out to be in violation of the requirements of European Waste Shipment Regulation. Of these violations 40% concerned illegal shipments and the other 60% were administrative violations.

Cooperation

Another objective of the project was to stimulate cooperation by organising joint inspections and exchange (send or invite) inspectors to and from other countries.  The project revealed that in 90% of the inspections national cooperation takes place. During international joint inspections enforcement agencies of two countries or more prepared and performed inspections on the same day and at the same border crossing and they assisted each other with the inspections. Another way to stimulate cooperation and exchange of knowledge and experience was to join the inspector exchange programme that was financed by IMPEL-TFS. In total fifteen countries joined this programme and 34 inspectors were exchanged to other countries.

Conclusions

Based on the objectives, results and experiences of this Enforcement Actions project the following main conclusions can be drawn:

• The project was stimulating, useful and successful in many ways;
• The project however also clearly demonstrates that the enforcement of Waste Shipment Regulation is not yet institutionalised equally in the European countries. A ‘level playing field’ within Europe is still a goal to be reached.
• Although a lot of good results have come out until now, solely a bottom-up approach as in the Verification, Seaport and Enforcement Actions I projects is not enough to create a permanent and consistent level of enforcement in all European countries.

Recommendations

Generally, having concluded that the project was a success, but more top-down support should be given and basic conditions and facilities need to be established and improved first in order to create a (more) level playing field, main recommendations are: 1. Create more political and high management support for the enforcement of the WSR; 2. Establish a more level playing field; 3. Organise a follow-up by starting Enforcement Actions project II.