REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL on statistics compiled pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 2150/2002 on waste statistics and their quality
Date: 2025-12-16
Institutions: European Commission, Eurostat
Subjects: EU Member State, EU statistics, data collection, environmental statistics, statistical method, waste, waste management

EN 

  EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 16.12.2025  COM(2025) 766 final  REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL on statistics compiled pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 2150/2002 on waste statistics and their quality  
 
 
1. 

Introduction 

Regulation  (EC)  No 2150/2002  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of 
25 November 2002  on  waste  statistics1  (‘the  Regulation’)  establishes  a  framework  for 
producing  statistics  on  waste  in  the  European  Union  (EU).  Article 8(1)  of  the  Regulation 
provides the following. 

The  Commission  shall,  within  five  years  after  the  date  of  entry  into  force  of  this 
Regulation  and  every  three  years  thereafter,  submit  a  report  to  the  European 
Parliament and the Council on the statistics compiled pursuant to this Regulation and 
in particular on their quality and the burden on businesses. 

This  is  the  seventh  report  fulfilling  this  obligation.  The  previous  reports  were  published  in 
20082, 20113, 20144, 20165, 20206 and 20227. 

The current report covers the reporting period between 2020 and 2022 (reference year data), 
for which Member States transmitted data in 2022 and 2024 respectively. 

2. 

Waste Statistics Regulation 

The Regulation establishes a framework for the production of EU statistics on the generation, 
recovery and disposal of waste. 

It ensures that waste data is collected and reported in a consistent manner across EU Member 
States and European Economic Area (EEA) countries, enhancing the accuracy, reliability, and 
comparability of waste statistics. It promotes transparency and provide access to waste data for 
policymakers, researchers, and the general public. 

Member States must collect data on waste generation (by economic activity, household and 
other  sources),  waste  treatment  (recycling,  recovery,  disposal,  etc.)  and  waste  management 
(including waste transport and trade), and submit it to the Commission (Eurostat) every two 
years within 18 months of the end of the reference year8. 

Eurostat  publishes  the  waste  data  in  a  user-friendly  format,  allowing  for  easy  access  and 
comparison across Member States. 

In addition to the statistics on waste generation and treatment, the data gathered through the 
Regulation  also  supports  statistics  on  policy  topics,  such  as  the  circular  economy9  and 
Sustainable Development Goals10. 

1  OJ L 332, 9.12.2002, p. 1. ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2002/2150/2010-10-18. 
2  COM(2008) 355 final, 13.6.2008. 
3  COM(2011) 131 final, 17.3.2011. 
4  COM(2014) 79 final, 14.2.2014. 
5  COM(2016) 701 final, 3.11.2016. 
6  COM(2020) 54 final, 14.2.2020. 
7 COM(2022) 719 final, 15.12.2022. 
8  Regulation (EC) No 2150/2002, Section 7(2) of Annexes I and II. 
9   Monitoring framework - Circular economy - Eurostat 
10   Information on data - Sustainable development goals - Eurostat 

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3. 

Activities since the last report 

3.1. 

Changes in reporting format 

Alongside the data they report to the Commission (Eurostat) under the Regulation, Member 
States also send a quality report. Since the 2024 data collection, the quality report format has 
been upgraded to the single integrated metadata structure (SIMS)11, a standardised reporting 
framework that integrates metadata and quality information in a harmonised format using an 
international, technical standard (SDMX). This upgrade provides a more detailed and robust 
structure,  aligned  with  best  practices  across  various  statistical  domains.  Furthermore,  the 
quality report features a new table to assess coverage issues, enable gaps in waste accounting 
to be identified and improve the overall accuracy of waste generation estimates. 

3.2.  Waste statistics working group meetings 

To develop the comparability and quality of data, Eurostat annually organises meetings of the 
waste  statistics  working  group,  which  include  national  experts  from  the  national  statistical 
institutes of EU Member States, EFTA and candidate countries. Since the last report (in 2022), 
there have been annual meetings, each lasting one and a half days, where the working group 
discussed  the  circular  economy,  reporting  of  municipal  waste,  agricultural  waste,  sewage 
sludge and mineral waste and the Eurostat handbook for 2024. 

3.3. 

Country visits 

The Commission (Eurostat) conducts bilateral visits to countries to discuss technical matters 
and  gain  a  better  understanding  of  the  methodology  applied  and  its  implications  on  data 
comparability.  Four  visits  have  taken  place  since  the  last  report:  to  the  Netherlands,  Spain, 
Finland  and  Bulgaria.  The  visits  focused  on  the  data  reported  under  the  Regulation,  also 
addressing additional waste streams  (i.e. food waste, batteries, electronic  and electric waste 
and end-of-life vehicles)  where  relevant. Such visits  improve communication and allow for 
exchanges with the relevant country regarding methodology, providing a better understanding 
of each country’s processes and challenges in relation to waste statistics. Furthermore, the visits 
constitute a faster and more effective way to discuss and resolve complex issues. 

11   Commission Recommendation (EU) 2023/397 of 17 February 2023 on reference metadata and quality reports 
for the European Statistical System, replacing Recommendation 2009/498/EC on reference metadata for the 
European Statistical System, 
OJ L 53, 21.2.2023; ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reco/2023/397/oj. 

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3.4. 

Quality of the data transmitted since the last report 

3.4.1.  Timeliness 

Compliance with the reporting deadline for the collection of data with reference year 2020 and 
2022 remained stable compared to previous years. 

Waste generation and treatment datasets were generally submitted on time. For reference year 
2020, 25 Member States and one EEA country submitted their data on time, while for reference 
year 2022, 21 Member States and two EEA countries met the submission deadline. 

However, there were delays in the transmission of the data for the reference year 2022 by some 
countries. Countries also submitted quality reports after the deadline, with two EU countries 
still pending, potentially due to the new quality report format introduced that year. Voluntary 
submissions from six Western Balkan countries (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North 
Macedonia, Albania, Serbia and Kosovo*) and Türkiye were also received, with four countries 
submitting full datasets and quality reports on time. Eurostat sent reminders and intervened in 
cases of non-submission. The validated data was published in Eurostat’s online database for 
reference years 2018, 2020 and 2022, accompanied by Statistics Explained articles and other 
information products12. 

3.4.2.  Completeness 

The waste generation data has become significantly more complete since the year 2010. There 
has  been  a  substantial  decrease  in  the  number  of  missing  figures  and  countries  sending 
responses that were not complete, with no EU and EEA countries reporting missing figures for 
both reference years. Six  Western Balkan countries (Bosnia  and Herzegovina, Montenegro, 
North  Macedonia,  Albania,  Serbia  and  Kosovo)  and  Türkiye  also  submitted  their  waste 
generation reports for the reference year 2022. 

There was a similar improvement in waste treatment data, with no missing figures reported for 
reference  years  2020  and  2022.  However,  some  countries  report  confidential  data,  which 
requires additional secondary confidentiality treatment to prevent sensitive national data being 
derived  from  the  confidential  data.  This  procedure  ensures  that  confidential  information 
remains protected while still allowing aggregate data to be published. 

3.4.3.  Relevance 

The dataset provides comprehensive information on the waste generated and its treatment. It 
classifies waste by substance and sector of activity, with a primary focus on waste management. 
However, it does not fully address waste as a resource, as it has limitations, including a lack of 
data  on  recycling  rates,  import  and  export  of  waste  and  preliminary  processing  stages. 

*  This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244/1999 and the ICJ 

Opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence. 

12  New items (ref. year: 2022): https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/en/web/products-eurostat-news/w/ddn-20241017-1 

waste management indicators: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-
explained/index.php?title=Waste_management_indicators. 

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Moreover, waste characteristics are dynamic in nature and there is a possibility that substances 
will be double counted. Both of these factors may affect accuracy. While the data is useful for 
managing waste infrastructure, these shortcomings mean it is not fully suitable for monitoring 
circular economy practices. 

3.4.4.  Accuracy 

The  accuracy  of  waste  generation  data  is  ensured  through  a  comprehensive  approach  that 
combines statistics from all economic sectors and households, including secondary waste and 
small  businesses.  To  address  potential  gaps  in  coverage,  data  has  been  supplemented  with 
information from administrative sources or estimates. In recent years, there has been a trend 
towards  increased  reliance  on  administrative  sources,  with  statistical  sample  surveys  being 
used more selectively to collect complementary data and fill remaining gaps. 

This  approach  is  efficient  and  effective,  as  it  leverages  available  administrative  data  and 
targeted survey data to produce high-quality data on waste generation. This method harnesses 
the strengths of both data sources. This means it is aligned with the European Statistics Code 
of Practice, which promotes the use of existing  data sources and minimising the burden on 
respondents.  As  a  result,  the  accuracy  and  reliability  of  waste  generation  data  increase, 
providing a robust foundation for informed decision-making. Eurostat’s quality report checks, 
which compare business register data with waste reporting system data, have helped improve 
reliability. Although response rates are low, discrepancies in datasets suggest that the amount 
of waste generated is underestimated by less than 10%. Inaccuracies may occur due to improper 
aggregation within NACE codes, potentially meaning that household waste is overestimated. 

Overall, while some limitations remain, the data quality is continually improving, and efforts 
are being made to address the remaining challenges and ensure more accurate and comparable 
waste generation data. 

3.4.5.  Accessibility and clarity 

In  line  with  the  Regulation,  waste  statistics  are  made  accessible  through  a  comprehensive 
database and clear, concise articles on the Eurostat website. The database allows users to create 
customised  downloads  and  provides  integrated  metadata  and  quality  reports  for  better 
understanding.  User  feedback  indicates  high  satisfaction  with  data  accessibility,  with  most 
inquiries related to interpreting published numbers rather than accessing the data, suggesting 
that Eurostat’s database is a user-friendly and intuitive source of information. By providing 
easy access to waste statistics, Eurostat enables stakeholders across the EU to make informed 
decisions and promotes transparency in the waste management sector. 

3.4.6.  Comparability 

Data  generally  has  high  comparability  across  countries,  due  to  common  definitions  and 
classifications. However, challenges remain, particularly for hazardous waste data, where each 
country's  national  legislation  might  have  a  different  definition  of  ‘hazardousness’.  The 

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dominance of mineral waste, which accounts for approximately two-thirds of total waste, also 
hinders  comparisons  between  countries.  To  mitigate  this,  Eurostat  publishes  data  for  the 
indicator  ‘Waste  excluding  major  mineral  waste’,  which  helps  more  accurate  cross-country 
comparisons. 

Most Member States continue to develop data quality and efficiency through improved data 
collection and methods. However, these improvements can create breaks in time series, which 
Member States address by revising datasets and informing users about any revisions. Eurostat 
flags these discontinuities in the datasets it publishes. 

3.4.7.  Coherence 

The waste statistics demonstrate a high degree of coherence, which is a measure of their ability 
to  be combined in  different  ways and for various uses. Coherence is  evaluated across  three 
dimensions:  coherence  with  national  accounts,  other  cross-domain  coherence  and  internal 
coherence.  For  waste  statistics,  internal  coherence  is  ensured  through  the  consistent 
transformation of raw data into outputs. 

Regarding  cross-domain  coherence,  validation  procedures  are  in  place  to  compare  waste 
statistics with other relevant datasets, such as waste from electrical and electronic equipment 
(WEEE), packaging, and food waste. While these procedures help to reduce inconsistencies, 
some discrepancies persist, mainly due to differences in data production departments. 

Nevertheless, coherence with national accounts is well illustrated by the relationships between 
waste  generation  and  socio-economic  indicators,  such  as  GDP  per  capita  and  government 
expenditure in waste management. For example, the data shows a positive correlation between 
waste  generation  per  capita  and  GDP  per  capita.  However,  the  relationship  between  waste 
generation  and  expenditure  on  waste  management  is  less  clear,  with  distinct  clusters  of 
countries exhibiting different patterns. 

In addition, as the waste management indicator set combines treatment data collected under the 
Regulation with import/export data from international trade statistics (the COMEXT database) 
or from national sources, coherence with international trade in goods statistics is also evaluated. 
These  findings  emphasise  the  complexity  of  the  relationships  between  waste  generation, 
economic activity, and environmental impacts, as well as the importance of continued efforts 
to improve data coherence and consistency. 

3.5. 

Analysis of the data 

The  2022  data  collection  provided  valuable  insights  into  trends  and  developments  in  waste 
generation and management. Notably, the data revealed a continuous and ongoing decrease in 
the  generation  of  household  and  similar  waste13,  as  well  as  a  strong  decrease  in  the  direct 

13  Waste that is not generated by households but resembles household waste in its composition. Typical examples 
include  waste from small businesses, offices,  schools and public facilities like parks which generate  waste 
types similar to those from residences. 

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landfilling of this waste stream. Additionally, there was an increase in the separate collection 
of certain waste streams from households, such as glass, plastic, and bio-waste. 

While  the  data  revealed  satisfactory  levels  of  quality,  opportunities  for  improvement  were 
identified, particularly with regard to waste streams such as sewage sludge, agricultural waste 
and  construction  waste.  Eurostat  improved  its  guidance  to  address  the  inconsistent 
classification of mining waste across countries. 

The  analysis  also  shed  light  on  the  challenges  facing  the  circular  economy,  in  particular 
regarding plastic and textile waste streams. Significant disparities in per-capita generation and 
treatment methods were observed, with some countries relying heavily on exports or landfilling 
due to limited domestic recycling capacity. These findings demonstrate the need to improve 
infrastructure, reduce reliance on exports and harmonise definitions. 

To address these issues, Eurostat expanded the questionnaire to include voluntary reporting of 
waste  imports/exports  and  other  relevant  categories  to  reconcile  waste  generation  and 
treatment. This will not only increase the quality of estimates but also provide valuable insights 
in the context of the circular economy. 

3.6. 

Administrative burden 

The  reporting  requirements  for  waste  statistics  impose  an  administrative  burden  on  waste 
generators  and  businesses  specialised  in  waste  management.  In  accordance  with  the 
Regulation, small companies (with fewer than 10 employees)14 may mitigate this burden by 
replacing reporting with data collected directly by Member States. 

Member States take various approaches to collecting data, including surveys, administrative 
data or a combination of surveys and administrative data. The administrative data combines 
data collected for other purposes, such as for taxation, environmental monitoring or national 
management of waste. 

To  ensure  accurate  data  collection,  Eurostat  provides  technical  assistance  and  training  to 
national compilers, both data collectors and respondents. 

It is noted that in around 12 Member States collection relies on administrative data, while five 
use statistical surveys. It was also noted that an increasing number of countries are adopting a 
combined approach. 

There were approximately 6 325 respondents, with each of them spending less than an hour on 
completing the questionnaire. In terms of cost estimation, based on a comprehensive analysis 
of  quality  reports  and  survey  data,  the  total  burden  on  companies  across  the  EU  is 
approximately EUR 2.2 million (on average EUR 186 000 per Member State per year). 

14  The exemption of small companies from surveys is handled in different ways. Some countries cover small 
companies by sample surveys and extrapolate the results. However, most countries exclude small companies 
completely  in  accordance  with  Article 3(2)  of  the  Regulation,  which  allows  enterprises  of  less  than  10 
employees  to  be  excluded  from  surveys  unless  they  contribute  significantly  to  the  generation  of  waste. 
Alternatively,  the  figures  may  be  extrapolated  using  factor-based  estimation  models.  Countries  have  set 
different  exclusion  thresholds,  determined mostly  by  the  number  of  employees  or  by  the  amount  of  waste 
generated  per  year.  Some  countries  combine  the  two  criteria  to  make  sure  that  even  small  companies  are 
covered by data collection when they exceed the defined waste generation threshold. 

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In line with the Commission's efforts to reduce administrative burden and simplify reporting 
requirements, the current questionnaire appears to strike a balance and proportionate burden to 
the objectives pursued. The use of administrative data and combined approaches by Member 
States contributes to minimising the burden on waste generators and businesses. Overall, the 
existing reporting requirements for waste statistics seem to be effective in collecting necessary 
data  while  keeping  the  administrative  burden  to  a  minimum,  thereby  supporting  the 
Commission's goal of burden reduction and simplification. 

4. 

Improvement measures 

To improve the numerical data reported under the Regulation, Eurostat pursued an efficient, 
rapid  solution  that  addressed  key  information  needs  for  modern  waste  management, 
particularly for monitoring the transition to a circular economy and calculating recycling rates, 
which are  crucial  indicators for assessing  progress towards  EU  environmental and  resource 
efficiency objectives. 

Eurostat focused on developing the additional module on the reconciliation of waste generation 
and  treatment,  which  makes  waste  data  more  relevant  and  comprehensive.  The  module 
comprises  five  detailed  tables  that  track  the  flow  of  waste  from  generation  to  treatment, 
covering  imports  and  exports,  pre-treatment,  thermal  treatment  and  material  recovery.  This 
approach  provides  more  detailed  information  on  waste  streams  and  enables  recycling  and 
recovery rates for individual waste types to be accurately calculated. 

Despite  limited  reporting  of  this  voluntary  module  in  the  2022  and  2024  reporting  rounds, 
Eurostat  used  the  most  comprehensive  submissions  to  create  Sankey  diagrams,  providing  a 
visual representation of waste flows and identifying data gaps. These diagrams, combined with 
consultations with top-performing countries, have produced some data and paved the way for 
more reliable and comprehensive reporting in the future. 

In  order  to  analyse  the  circular  economy  and  to  make  it  simpler  to  monitor  recycling  and 
material recovery performance across individual waste streams, Eurostat introduced the waste 
accounts, a methodological framework and approach to integrate data with different levels of 
detail and from several sources. 

5. 

Conclusions 

The data compiled pursuant to the Regulation provides a comprehensive and reliable source of 
information on waste generation and treatment in the EU, covering the period from 2002 to 
2022. 

The data is generally submitted on time and is of sufficient quality to be considered reliable 
and accurate. The quality of the dataset largely depends on each country’s methodology, which 
is steadily improving with every data collection cycle. Several factors have contributed to this 
improvement:  the  increasing  reliance  on  administrative  data,  which  reduces  dependence  on 
extrapolation, and the steady progress being made in data validation, alongside exchange with 
Member States through guidance, working groups, and country visits. 

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However, this data has its limitations as information on the circular economy and the use of 
waste  as  a  resource,  due  to  gaps  in  data  on  the  pre-treatment,  reclassification  of  waste  and 
international  trade  in  waste,  which  restricts  the  availability  of  comprehensive  information 
beyond final treatment and disposal. Eurostat took steps with the working group to implement 
the  additional  module,  collected  on  a  voluntary  basis  since  it  is  not  part  of  the  Regulation; 
unfortunately,  the  response  rate  was  very  low  due  to  resource  constraints  at  Member-State 
level, and therefore this data cannot yet be used. 
As the EU introduces waste reporting obligations for specific waste streams (such as batteries15, 
e-waste16,  food  waste17  and  packaging  waste18)  under  various  sector-specific  directives  and 
regulations,  more  information  becomes  available  about  those  types  of  waste.  However,  the 
Regulation  remains  the  only  official  reporting  by  Member  States  to  the  Commission  with 
complete coverage of all types of wastes. This is an essential tool to measure the material flows 
in the circular economy. The Regulation does not measure the flows from waste collection to 
waste treatment well enough, and particularly, but not only, for cross-boundary flows of wastes. 
Data improvements in this area are essential to maintain the completeness of the information 
on the circular economy and the relevance of the Regulation datasets for data analysis. 

In addition, the potential to improve the coherence of waste statistics could be explored through 
cross-checking with external trade and balance-of-payments statistics. This should not impose 
any  additional  reporting  burden  on  Member  States  and  would  identify  areas  for  future 
improvements  in  methodology  for  international  waste  flows,  thereby  boosting  the  overall 
quality and reliability of waste statistics. 

Despite its limitations, the data transmitted under the Regulation remains the sole source of a 
comprehensive and holistic overview of waste management across all economic sectors and 
households  in  the  EU.  It  provides  a  unique  and  accurate  representation  of  economic 
developments, including trends in waste generation and treatment. 

15  Directive 2006/66/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 6 September 2006 on batteries and 
accumulators.  OJ  L  266,  26.9.2006,  p. 1;  ELI: 

and 

accumulators 
http://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/2006/66/2018-07-04. 

and  waste  batteries 

16  Directive 2012/19/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 4 July 2012 on waste electrical and 
electronic equipment (WEEE).  OJ L 197, 24.7.2012, p. 38; ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/2012/19/2024-
04-08. 

17  Directive 2008/98/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 November 2008 on waste and 
repealing certain Directives. OJ L 312, 22.11.2008, p. 3; ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/2008/98/2024-02-
18. 

18  Regulation (EU) 2025/40 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 December 2024 on packaging 
and  packaging  waste,  amending  Regulation  (EU)  2019/1020  and  Directive  (EU)  2019/904,  and  repealing 
Directive 94/62/EC; OJ L, 2025/40, 22.1.2025; ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2025/40/oj. 

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