Europe sends millions of tonnes of ferrous scrap to India every year. That trade is not stopping – but the rules governing it are changing in ways that will affect every European scrap yard, every Indian importer, and every vessel carrying EU-origin material to Indian ports from May 2027 onwards.
EU Regulation 2024/1157 – the new Waste Shipment Regulation – came into force on May 20, 2024. Most of its provisions apply from May 21, 2026. The critical deadline for Indian importers wanting to continue receiving EU scrap passed on February 21, 2025. And the first approved country list gets published by November 21, 2026.
That’s a tight timeline. Here’s exactly what it means.
What Changed and Why
The old framework – Regulation 1013/2006 – allowed export of “green-listed” non-hazardous waste, including ferrous scrap, to non-OECD countries under a general information procedure. No prior authorisation needed. You packed the container, filed the paperwork, and it moved.
The new regulation flips that default. From May 21, 2027, export of non-hazardous waste – including recycled metals – to non-OECD countries is generally prohibited unless those countries have been formally approved by the European Commission and appear on an authorised list. India is a non-OECD country. That means EU-to-India scrap flows fall directly under this prohibition unless India gets listed.
The regulation was adopted on April 11, 2024 and published on May 20, 2024. The full text of EU Regulation 2024/1157 is available on the European Commission’s environment portal. The previous regulation that governed this – Regulation 1013/2006 – continues to apply until May 20, 2026 while the transition plays out.
The Three Deadlines Every European Seller Must Know
| Deadline | What Happens |
|---|---|
| February 21, 2025 | Non-OECD countries had to submit formal applications to the EU Commission to continue importing EU waste |
| May 21, 2026 | New Waste Shipment Regulation fully applies – old 1013/2006 framework replaced |
| November 21, 2026 | EU Commission publishes first approved list of non-OECD countries authorised to receive EU non-hazardous waste |
| May 21, 2027 | Exports to non-OECD countries not on the approved list are prohibited |
Miss the November 2026 list – for whatever reason – and EU-to-India scrap trade under standard procedures stops until the next list update. That’s the stakes.
Where India Currently Stands
India’s position as of early 2026 is cautiously positive but not confirmed.
The Material Recycling Association of India (MRAI) and the Indian government committed in January 2025 to filing their application with the European Commission before the February 21 deadline. MRAI President Sanjay Mehta publicly confirmed India’s intention at the International Material Recycling Conference in Jaipur in January 2025, stating that India was working to follow the EU’s guidelines and submit the required documentation.
India importing over 3.5 million tonnes of waste from the EU annually – iron scrap, tyre waste, paper, aluminum – makes this application commercially significant for both sides. The EU Commission received formal requests from 24 non-OECD countries by the February deadline. Countries that missed the deadline can still apply but face uncertainty about inclusion on the first list published in November 2026.
The critical question – whether India made the first approved list – will be answered when the EU Commission publishes that list in November 2026. Until then, the current trade framework under Regulation 1013/2006 continues to operate normally.
What Indian Importers Must Demonstrate
Getting listed is not automatic. The EU Regulation requires non-OECD countries seeking authorisation to demonstrate they can treat imported waste in an environmentally sound manner. Specifically, facilities receiving EU waste must:
- Hold valid operating licenses in India
- Have undergone a third-party environmental audit
- Demonstrate compliance with waste handling standards equivalent to EU environmental norms
- Upload shipment documentation to a new EU digital portal for each consignment
That last point – the digital documentation portal – is a new operational requirement that changes how paperwork flows for every individual shipment, not just the country-level authorisation. Every container of EU scrap heading to India will need its documentation uploaded to this EU-hosted platform before it sails.
For Indian scrap importers and mill operators, this means working with buying partners in Europe to build compliant documentation workflows well before May 2027. It’s not complex – but it requires coordination that doesn’t currently exist for most trading relationships.
What This Means for European Scrap Yards Right Now
For a scrap yard in Germany, the Netherlands, France, or the UK shipping material to India today, nothing changes operationally until May 21, 2026. You’re still operating under the old 1013/2006 framework. Shipments move as they always have.
From May 2026, the new regulation applies – including new documentation requirements and the digital reporting obligation. From November 2026, you’ll know whether India is on the approved list. From May 2027, if India isn’t listed, the prohibition kicks in.
The practical implication for now: talk to your Indian buyers. Confirm they understand what’s required of their facilities under the new rules. If they’re operating licensed, audited facilities – which serious Indian mills already do – the path to compliance is manageable. If they’re smaller, informal operations without documentation infrastructure, the May 2027 deadline creates a real supply chain disruption risk.
The Separate UK Position
A point of confusion worth clearing up. The UK left the EU in 2020. UK waste shipment regulations have been diverging from EU rules since then, and the UK is not bound by EU Regulation 2024/1157.
UK-to-India scrap exports currently follow the UK’s own Transfrontier Shipment of Waste regulations. UK sellers dealing with India operate under different rules than their EU counterparts – including the PSIC framework covered in the India scrap import PSIC exemption guide which treats the UK as a separate exempt country from the EU.
That said, UK exporters should monitor whether their own regulations move to align with EU standards post-2026, particularly if a UK-EU trade deal creates harmonisation pressure on waste shipment frameworks.
The Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism Angle
One factor accelerating EU scrap’s internal consumption that doesn’t get enough attention in trade discussions: the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), EU Emission Trading System costs, and general decarbonisation pressure on European steelmakers are increasing domestic demand for scrap within the EU itself.
European steelmakers shifting from blast furnace to electric arc furnace production need more scrap domestically. Export volumes from the EU were already tightening before the Waste Shipment Regulation added regulatory pressure. The combination of growing domestic EU demand and new export restrictions creates a real medium-term supply reduction for Indian importers who have historically relied on European material.
This is exactly why understanding how Indian mills calculate their scrap buying logic – and what grades they specifically need from imports – matters for anyone planning a long-term India trade relationship. The guide to how steel plants decide scrap buying rates explains the yield math that drives Indian mill demand, and which grades are most critical to replace if EU supply tightens.
What European Exporters Should Do Right Now
Don’t wait for November 2026 to understand your position. Three things to do now:
First, confirm with your Indian buyer that their facility is licensed, audited, and can demonstrate environmentally sound waste management. If they can’t answer that clearly, find buyers who can – because those are the only ones who will be authorised to receive your material after May 2027.
Second, prepare for the digital documentation requirement. The EU portal for shipment documentation is coming regardless of India’s approval status. Build it into your operational workflow early.
Third, check live Indian market conditions before negotiating any forward contracts that extend into 2027. The live iron scrap rates in India give you today’s pricing context. Rates and demand levels in 2027 will be shaped partly by how much EU supply actually flows – so forward pricing in this market carries more uncertainty than usual.
The Timeline Summary
The regulation isn’t a sudden disruption. It’s a phased transition with known deadlines. For European sellers and Indian buyers who act now – getting facilities audited, building documentation workflows, confirming buyer authorisation status – the May 2027 deadline is manageable.
For those who wait until November 2026 to find out whether India made the list, and then scramble to build compliance infrastructure in six months, it won’t be.
EU Regulation 2024/1157 provisions and deadlines are subject to implementing acts and potential amendments by the European Commission. India’s authorisation status will be confirmed when the EU publishes its first approved country list by November 21, 2026. Monitor the European Commission’s waste shipments portal for updates as the deadline approaches.
