Ban lifted: European Union resumes Shipments of the recovered paper concerned to India

Ban lifted: European Union resumes Shipments of the recovered paper concerned to India

- This should be an alarm on the EU Commission agenda that wants to ban within the next years all the exports of recycled materials.

31st March 2022 | The Pulp and Paper Times:

An apparent ban on recovered paper exports from EU to India in November 2021 has been attributed to a clerical error, but this error has been now rectified by European Union in its latest publication. The modification of regulation 1418/2007 has just been published in the official gazette of the European Union on 31st March 2022, correcting the error in India, so that as of tomorrow, the date on which it comes into force, trade-in recovered paper will be allowed Indian.

Amending Regulation (EC) No 1418/2007 concerning the export for recovery of certain waste listed in Annex III or IIIA to Regulation (EC) No 1013/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council to certain countries to which the OECD Decision on the control of transboundary movements of wastes does not apply.

In the update of regulation 1418/2007, exports of recovered paper to India have been prohibited since November 10 2021.

Talking to The Pulp and Paper Times, Mr. Hardik Patel, Director, Omshree Papertek says, “Even if today, the EU ban lifted, it will take two months from whenever it is lifted for that OCC to come into the system. So at least if it is lifted today until the next two months of it, the turmoil is always going to be there and there is going to be pressure on the local OCC. But yes, once the European ban is lifted, definitely it will substitute some of the pressure which has on the Indian paper market and the market should stabilize”

EU publication says, that Pursuant to Article 37(1) and (2) of Regulation (EC) No 1013/2006, when that Annex was amended by Regulation (EU) 2021/1840, the Commission took into account the respective replies received from India and Moldova to its written request. India subsequently stated in writing that the information provided in its reply regarding the sub-entry B3020 did not reflect the existing legislation and procedures, which did not prohibit imports of those wastes. Therefore, India requested that the procedure for sub-entry B3020 should be changed from option (a) to option (d).

“If the market does not see a correction in the price sooner than later, then the Indian Kraft paper mills will most likely see further shut downs and/or lesser production. The demand for Kraft Paper seems to have softened and hence these mills are already working In the red zone. In addition, there is a tremendous shortage of fibre locally adding to the higher demand for imported OCC” Said Marc Ehrlich, CEO, VIPA Group to The Pulp and Paper Times in an interview on 21st March 2022.

“In order to rectify these mistakes and considering the impact on economic operators, the Annex to Regulation (EC) No 1418/2007 should be amended accordingly” EU publication said.

Considering the urgent need to resume shipments of the waste concerned to India and Moldova, this Regulation should enter into force on the day following that of its publication.

The EU Commission has issued the proposal for the new legislation on the export of waste (Proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and the Council on shipments of waste), which will be also ruling the exports of waste paper. 

Mr. Marc says on the shipment of waste regulation that “Again, this should be an alarm on the EU Commission agenda that wants to ban within the next years all the exports of recycled materials. Indian paper industry (and metal industry) should wake up now and raise the issue with the Indian government before it is too late”

Web Title: Ban lifted European Union resumes Shipments of the recovered paper concerned to India