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Illegal waste shipments, Olaf launches working group to combat the phenomenon

The new European group aims to combat illegal waste trafficking with a focus on digital technologies and cross-border cooperation

by Davide Madeddu (Il Sole 24 Ore) and Sarah Rost (Voxeurop, France)

14 June 2025

3' min read

A little over two weeks after its official establishment, the new Waste Shipment Enforcement Group (WSEG) is preparing to become a European reference point in the fight against illegal waste trafficking: a united front involving environmental authorities, customs, police forces and prosecutors' offices, with the aim of strengthening operational cooperation and the effectiveness of cross-border investigations. The inaugural meeting of the group, organised by the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF), was held on 22 and 23 May in Warsaw, bringing together some 50 stakeholders from across the EU.

Computer systems and inspections

At the heart of the proceedings were the new trends in international illicit trafficking flows and the consequent need to intensify controls and enforcement tools. Particular attention was paid to the use of digital technologies for the collection and sharing of information between the partners involved.

According to Ernesto Bianchi, Director of Revenue and International Operations, Investigations and Strategy at OLAF, 'the Waste Shipments Enforcement Group is a practical platform for action, dialogue and cooperation. OLAF is proud to support this effort, helping to turn shared intelligence into concrete investigations'.

The WSEG was established within the framework of the recently adopted Waste Shipment Regulation, which gives OLAF the mandate to support member states in detecting and investigating illegal shipments, also coordinating joint actions with third countries. Also emphasising the centrality of the fight against environmental crime was OLAF Director General Ville Itälä.

In 21 years, exports have grown by 72%

The urgency of action is confirmed by Eurostat data: since 2004, waste exports from the EU to non-EU countries have increased by 72%. An increase that has prompted the EU to adopt a new regulation in May 2024 to tighten the rules on exporting waste outside the EU.

"The regulation," reads a European Commission document, "will increase traceability and facilitate shipments of waste for recycling in the EU and beyond. It will support the circular economy and ensure that waste exported from the EU is treated in an environmentally sustainable way."

The regulation formally entered into force on 20 May 2024, but most of the provisions will apply from 21 May 2026, while the export rules will come fully into force from 21 May 2027.

One of the main innovations is the introduction of digitised procedures to improve the tracking of shipments within the EU. The aim is to facilitate the movement of waste for recycling and preparation for re-use, pillars of the EU's transition to a circular economy and security of supply of raw materials.

The French case: trafficking in both directions

In France, a number of significant cases have highlighted the vulnerabilities of the system and the way traffickers operate. In 2020, an investigation conducted near Lille revealed the existence of an international criminal network specialised in the illegal management of waste from Belgium. Some of this waste was illegally disposed of in authorised landfills by falsifying documents, while hundreds of tonnes were simply abandoned in natural areas, as happened with around 800 tonnes in the eastern region of France. Those responsible were later identified and convicted.

More recently, between September 2024 and April 2025, a similar case involved a Belgian family accused of organising the illegal transport of some 4,500 tonnes of waste across the border, again in the Lille area. The trafficking was allegedly worth over EUR 1 million and the dumped waste was suspected of containing hazardous substances such as asbestos and chromium.

However, the phenomenon does not only concern incoming flows. France itself has been involved in illegal shipments to third countries, as in 2019, when several containers that left France were intercepted in Malaysia and sent back. In that case too, the French authorities launched an investigation, which led to the identification and sanctioning of those responsible.

Despite the controls carried out by customs - which in France alone led to the interception of more than 62,000 tonnes of illegal waste - international waste trafficking continues to represent a growing challenge. According to a communication to the French Senate, current measures do not seem sufficient, and there is a need to further strengthen law enforcement strategies, just as the new Waste Shipment Enforcement Group at European level proposes to do.

*This article is part of the European collaborative journalism project "Pulse".