National definition of waste used for the purpose of transboundary movements of waste exists in Czech Republic.
Act on Waste No. 185/2001 Coll., as amended. Waste means any movable thing in the categories set out in Annex 1 to the Act, which a person discards or intends or is required to discard. Annex 1 to the Act is identical with Annex I of Council Directive 75/442/EEC on waste, as amended.
National definition of hazardous waste used for the purpose of transboundary movements of waste exists in Czech Republic.
Act on Waste No. 185/2001 Coll., as amended, Decree of the Ministry of the Environment No. 381/2001 Coll., as amended.
Hazardous waste means waste featured on the List of hazardous waste and any other waste displaying one or more hazardous characteristics. List of hazardous wastes and of hazardous characteristics corresponds to Commission Decision 2000/532/EC, as amended and Council Directive 91/689/EEC, as amended.
The above-mentioned definition is used for the purposes of implementing the Basel Convention amendment (ban on export for recovery to countries to which the OECD Decision does not apply). The control procedures for other transboundary movements of waste are not based on the definition of hazardous waste, but on a specific waste listing system established by Council Regulation (EEC) No 259/93 on the supervision and control of shipments of waste within, into and out of the European Community, as amended.
Czech Republic regulates/controls additional wastes as hazardous that are not included in Art. 1 (1)a of the Basel Convention and would be controlled for the purpose of transboundary movements pursuant to Art. 1 (1)b.
Czech Republic regulates/controls additional wastes pursuant to Article 1(1)b. The wastes in question are listed in the Decree of the Ministry of Environment No. 381/2001 Coll., as amended. However, due to structural differences between the hazardous waste list and Annex I of the Basel Convention it is not possible to specify in detail which of these wastes are additional to Annex I. These additional wastes contain, for example, the following constituents which render wastes hazardous: compounds of cobalt, vanadium, nickel, silver, tin and barium, alkaline and alkaline earth metals (lithium, sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium in uncombined form), aromatic compounds, polycyclic and heterocyclic organic compounds, inorganic sulphides, peroxides, chlorates, perchlorates, creosotes, isocyanates and thiocyanates.
Czech Republic requires special consideration for the following waste(s) when subjected to transboundary movement:
All exports of wastes for final disposal (both hazardous and non-hazardous) are controlled. All imports of wastes (both hazardous and non-hazardous) for final disposal are prohibited. Several items of wastes listed in Annex III of Council Regulation (EEC) No. 259/93 (e.g. used blasting grit, surfactants, liquid pig manure, sewage sludge) are controlled for the purpose of transboundary movements for recovery although they are normally not hazardous. Wastes destined for recovery operations that are not listed in Annexes II, III or IV of Council Regulation (EEC) No 259/93 (both hazardous or non-hazardous) are subject to hazardous waste controls. Transboundary movements of wastes listed in Annex II of Council Regulation (EEC) No. 259/93 (normally non-hazardous) destined for recovery in countries to which the OECD Council Decision C(92)39/FINAL does not apply are also controlled depending on request of importing country concerned.
Restrictions on Transboundary Movement
Amendment to the Basel Convention
The amendment to the Basel Convention (Decision III/1) has been implemented in Czech Republic.
Czech Republic restricts the export of hazardous wastes and other wastes for final disposal.
Council Regulation (EEC) No 259/93 on the supervision and control of shipments of waste within, into and out of the European Community, as amended.
All exports of wastes (both hazardous and non-hazardous) for final disposal are prohibited except those to EU Member countries and EFTA Countries, which are also Parties to the Basel Convention.
Restrictions on export for recovery
Czech Republic restricts the export of hazardous wastes and other wastes for recovery.
Council Regulation (EEC) No 259/93 on the supervision and control of shipments of waste within, into and out of the European Community, as amended.
All exports of hazardous wastes and other wastes for recovery are prohibited to countries to which the OECD Council Decision C(92)39/FINAL does not apply. The wastes in question are listed in Annex V to Council Regulation (EEC) No 259/93, as amended.
Restrictions on import for final disposal
Czech Republic restricts the import of hazardous wastes and other wastes for final disposal. Act on Waste No. 185/2001 Coll., as last amended by Act No. 188/2004 Coll. (in force from 1 May 2004).
All imports of waste (both hazardous and non-hazardous) for final disposal are prohibited.
Restrictions on import for recovery
Czech Republic restricts the import of hazardous wastes and other wastes for recovery.
Council Regulation (EEC) No 259/93 on the supervision and control of shipments of waste within, into and out of the European Community, as amended.
All imports of hazardous waste for recovery are prohibited except those from countries to which the OECD Council Decision C(92)39/FINAL applies and countries, which are Parties to the Basel Convention or with which the Czech Republic has concluded agreements or arrangements in accordance with Article 11 of the Basel Convention.
Restrictions on transit
Czech Republic restricts the transit of hazardous wastes and other wastes.
Council Regulation (EEC) No 259/93 on the supervision and control of shipments of waste within, into and out of the European Community, as amended.
Reduction and/or Elimination of Hazardous Waste Generation
National strategies/policies
State Environmental Policy (2004-2010); National Environmental Management Programme; National Eco-labelling Programme; and National Programme of Cleaner Production.
Legislation, regulations and guidelines
Act on Waste No. 185/2001 Coll., as amended; Waste Management Plan of the Czech Republic (Government Decree No. 197/2003 Coll.); Regional Waste Management Plans; Implementation programmes for selected waste streams (hazardous wastes, biomedical and healthcare wastes, sewage sludge, end-of life vehicles, biodegradable wastes, waste electrical and electronic equipment, plastic wastes, decontamination and disposal of PCB-containing equipments, economical instruments for the support of material recovery of wastes).
Economic instruments/ initiatives
Following programmes of the State Environmental Fund: Programme for Promotion of Best Available Techniques (BAT); Programme for Promotion of Environmental Management; Programme for Decontamination and Reclamation of Old Landfills; Programme for Promotion of Recovery and Final Disposal of Waste; and Programme for Elaboration of Waste Management Conceptions. Programme of the Czech Moravian Guarantee and Development Bank: Promotion of EMAS in Small and Medium Enterprises. Fee for landfill of waste (basic component of fee – for depositing of waste, risk component – for depositing of hazardous waste). Financial reserve for reclamation of landfills.
Measures taken by industries/waste generators
Implementation of cleaner production projects.
Implementation of environmental management systems (EMS/EMAS).
State Environmental Policy (2004-2010); Waste Management Plan of the Czech Republic (Government Decree No. 197/2003 Coll.); Regional Waste Management Plans; Implementation programmes for selected waste streams (hazardous wastes, biomedical and healthcare wastes, sewage sludge, end-of life vehicles, biodegradable wastes, waste electrical and electronic equipment, plastic wastes, decontamination and disposal of PCB-containing equipments, economical instruments for the support of material recovery of wastes).
Legislation, regulations and guidelines
Act on Waste No. 185/2001 Coll., as amended.
Economic instruments/ initiatives
Following programmes of the State Environmental Fund: Programme for Elaboration of Waste Management Conceptions; Programme for Promotion of Best Available Techniques (BAT); Programme for Promotion of Environmental Management; and Programme for Promotion of Recovery and Final Disposal of Waste. Programme of the Czech Moravian Guarantee and Development Bank: Promotion of EMAS in Small and Medium Enterprises. Obligatory financial guarantee covering the costs of re-import and disposal, when a transboundary movement cannot be completed.
Measures taken by industries/waste generators
Implementation of Cleaner production projects.
Implementation of environmental management systems (EMS/EMAS).
Disposal/
Recovery Facilities
Information could be obtained from:
Statistical Environmental Yearbook of the Czech Republic, edited by the Czech Statistical Office, Ministry of Environment and Czech Environmental Institute (published annually).
T.G.Masaryk Water Management Research Institute, Centre for Waste Management, Podbabská 10, CZ-16000 Prague 6.
Bilateral, Multilateral or Regional Agreements
Multilateral agreement; OECD Decision C(92)39/FINAL on the Control of Transfrontier Movements of Wastes Destined for Recovery Operations (30 March 1992); OECD Member Countries.
