Article 22Take-back when a shipment cannot be completed as intended
1.Where any of the competent authorities concerned becomes aware that a shipment of waste, including its recovery or disposal, cannot be completed as intended in accordance with the terms of the notification and movement documents and/or contract referred to in the second subparagraph, point 4 of Article 4 and in Article 5, it shall immediately inform the competent authority of dispatch. Where a recovery or disposal facility rejects a shipment received, it shall immediately inform the competent authority of destination.
2.The competent authority of dispatch shall ensure that, except in cases referred to in paragraph 3, the waste in question is taken back to its area of jurisdiction or elsewhere within the country of dispatch by the notifier as identified in accordance with the ranking established in point 15 of Article 2, or, if impracticable, by that competent authority itself or by a natural or legal person on its behalf.
This shall take place within 90 days, or such other period as may be agreed between the competent authorities concerned, after the competent authority of dispatch becomes aware or has been advised in writing by the competent authorities of destination or transit that the consented shipment of waste or its recovery or disposal cannot be completed and has been informed of the reason(s) therefor. Such advice may result from information submitted to the competent authorities of destination or transit, inter alia, by other competent authorities.
3.The take-back obligation in paragraph 2 shall not apply if the competent authorities of dispatch, transit and destination involved in disposing of or recovering the waste are satisfied that the waste can be recovered or disposed of in an alternative way in the country of destination or elsewhere by the notifier or, if impracticable, by the competent authority of dispatch or by a natural or legal person on its behalf.
The take-back obligation in paragraph 2 shall not apply if the waste shipped has, in the course of the operation at the facility concerned, been irreversibly mixed with other waste before a competent authority concerned has become aware of the fact that the notified shipment cannot be completed as referred to in paragraph 1. Such mixture shall be recovered or disposed of in an alternative way in accordance with the first subparagraph.
4.In cases of take-back as referred to in paragraph 2, a new notification shall be submitted, unless the competent authorities concerned agree that a duly reasoned request by the initial competent authority of dispatch is sufficient.
A new notification, where appropriate, shall be submitted by the initial notifier or, if impracticable, by any other natural or legal persons identified in accordance with point 15 of Article 2, or, if impracticable, by the initial competent authority of dispatch or by a natural or legal person on its behalf.
No competent authority shall oppose or object to the return of waste from a shipment that cannot be completed or to the related recovery and disposal operation.
5.In cases of alternative arrangements outside the initial country of destination as referred to in paragraph 3, a new notification, where appropriate, shall be submitted by the initial notifier or, if impracticable, by any other natural or legal persons identified in accordance with point 15 of Article 2, or, if impracticable, by the initial competent authority of dispatch or by a natural or legal person on its behalf.
When such a new notification is submitted by the notifier, this notification shall also be submitted to the competent authority of the initial country of dispatch.
6.In cases of alternative arrangements in the initial country of destination as referred to in paragraph 3, a new notification shall not be required and a duly reasoned request shall suffice. Such a duly reasoned request, seeking agreement to the alternative arrangement, shall be transmitted to the competent authority of destination and dispatch by the initial notifier or, if impracticable, to the competent authority of destination by the initial competent authority of dispatch.
7.If no new notification is to be submitted in accordance with paragraphs 4 or 6, a new movement document shall be completed in accordance with Article 15 or Article 16 by the initial notifier or, if impracticable, by any other natural or legal persons identified in accordance with point 15 of Article 2, or, if impracticable, by the initial competent authority of dispatch or by a natural or legal person on its behalf.
If a new notification is submitted by the initial competent authority of dispatch in accordance with paragraphs 4 or 5, a new financial guarantee or equivalent insurance shall not be required.
8.The obligation of the notifier and the subsidiary obligation of the country of dispatch to take the waste back or arrange for alternative recovery or disposal shall end when the facility issues the certificate of non-interim recovery or disposal as referred to in Article 16(e) or, where appropriate, in Article 15(e). In the cases of interim recovery or disposal referred to in Article 6(6), the subsidiary obligation of the country of dispatch shall end when the facility issues the certificate referred to in Article 15(d).
If a facility issues a certificate of recovery or disposal in such a way as to result in an illegal shipment, with the consequence that the financial guarantee is released, Article 24(3) and Article 25(2) shall apply.
9.Where waste from a shipment which cannot be completed, including its recovery or disposal, is discovered within a Member State, the competent authority with jurisdiction over the area where the waste was discovered shall be responsible for ensuring that arrangements are made for the safe storage of the waste pending its return or non-interim recovery or disposal in an alternative way.