Control on Import and Export of Waste
The Control Scheme
Cooperation Arrangement
Upon China's resumption of sovereignty over Hong Kong in 1997, the Basel Convention is no longer applicable to controlled waste movements between the Mainland of China and Hong Kong SAR, as such movements are within the territory of a sovereign state. On the other hand, waste movements between Hong Kong SAR and overseas countries are regarded as movements between China and the overseas countries.
To ensure that an appropriate control arrangement will continue to be implemented for shipments of waste between the Mainland of China and Hong Kong SAR, a memorandum of understanding (MOU) was signed in January 2000. Under the control framework established in the MOU, shipments of controlled waste between the Mainland of China and Hong Kong SAR are not allowed unless prior written consents are given by both competent authorities (the State Environmental Protection Administration (now the Ministry of Ecology and Environment) and the EPD of Hong Kong SAR). Waste movements between the Mainland of China and Hong Kong SAR are thus continued to be controlled under the Waste Disposal Ordinance.
The MOU has been replaced by the "Cooperation Arrangement on Control of Waste Movements Between the Mainland and HKSAR" (CA) in November 2007. Also included in the CA are supplementary provisions on applications and approvals regarding waste shipments to overseas countries via the ports in the Mainland and the Hong Kong SAR.
