Registrations for the EU’s DIWASS platform will open on April 21, ahead of mandatory use from May 21, 2026 under the new Waste Shipment Regulation. A possible transition period for Annex VII shipments is under discussion, while no derogation is forseen for notified shipments. According to Fead, delays in development, limited training, and interoperability gaps are raising concerns over system readiness and potential operational disruptions
The countdown continues for DIWASS, the new EU platform for the traceability of waste shipments, but uncertainty is growing among operators over the system’s reliability. Registrations for the new DIWASS telematic portal for managing waste shipments between EU Member States will open on April 21. This was announced by the Commission during the technical working group convened in recent days to assess the system’s state of progress, ahead of the click day scheduled for May 21, 2026. From that date, the platform will become mandatory in all Member States under the new EU Regulation on waste shipments and will have to collect documentation on shipments submitted by companies and competent national authorities.
As anticipated by Ricicla.tv, during the meeting “the European Commission proposed a transition period for Annex VII shipments, allowing these to continue in paper format until the end of 2026,” Fead confirmed in a statement. In recent weeks, together with 13 other European industry associations, Fead had raised concerns about delays in the platform’s development. However, the option of a dual regime for ‘green list’ waste shipments has not yet been formally adopted. For now, stakeholders are awaiting publication of the technical working group’s minutes. The association advises operators “to consult their competent authorities to confirm whether they will follow this recommendation and under which conditions”.
As for operations subject to notification requirements, there are no changes: “no transition period is foreseen,” Fead clarifies, “and operators will be required to use DIWASS from May 21, 2026.” This assumes that by that date the system—currently available only in a demo version—will be fully operational and capable of handling the workload. “The European Commission,” Fead adds, “has assured stakeholders that DIWASS will be fully tested and prepared to handle a high peak of requests on day one. Stress tests are currently underway.” However, according to Ricicla.tv, interoperability functions between DIWASS and the management software used by companies and competent authorities still need to be developed. From May 21 onward, documentation for notified shipments is therefore expected to be handled exclusively through the web portal provided by the Commission.
Caution remains necessary, not only from a technological standpoint. Operationally, “uncertainties persist, which are undermining the readiness of operators and authorities,” explains Fead Secretary General Paolo Campanella. Regarding the use of DIWASS, Brussels has tasked individual national competent authorities with training economic operators, but “this is still not consistently happening due to limited resources of competent authorities and delays in the technical development of the system, leaving operators without the necessary tools and preparation,” Campanella continues.
Overall, the climate remains highly uncertain, and the Commission’s openness to a dual regime for Annex VII does not eliminate the risk of bottlenecks. “Since the beginning of 2026, many competent authorities have gradually limited or discouraged new notifications. Some operators have also postponed submissions due to uncertainty over processing times, risking the need to resubmit applications and restart procedures if files are not handled in time,” Fead notes. According to the association, this “could lead to an accumulation of notifications, resulting in a surge of requests on 21 May as well as severe operational disruptions in waste management should DIWASS experience even minor delays.” To mitigate these risks, Fead recommends that all involved operators “ensure registration in DIWASS as soon as possible once the platform becomes operational on 21 April, and to seek guidance and training from their competent authorities.” Provided, of course, that these authorities are ready to deliver it.
