Workshop on the Import, Export and Notification Procedures for Recyclable Plastic Waste Transported by Sea was held Under the coordination of the Ankara University National Research Centre for the Sea and Maritime Law (DEHUKAM), and with the participation of the Ministry of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change of the Republic of Türkiye and the Ministry of Trade of the Republic of Türkiye, the “Workshop on the Import, Export and Notification Processes of Recyclable Plastic Waste by Sea” was successfully held on Thursday, 25 June 2026, at the Holiday Inn Ankara Çukurambar Hotel.
Bringing together senior officials from relevant public institutions, industry representatives and academics, the workshop began with opening addresses by Yavuz Eroğlu, Chairman of the Board of Directors of PAGEV; Süleyman Önel, Chair of the Board of Directors of DEHUKAM; Hakkı Karabörklü, Director General of Product Safety and Inspection at the Ministry of Trade; Mustafa Gümüş, Director General of Customs at the Ministry of Trade; and Fatih Ekmekçi, Director General of Environmental Impact Assessment, Permit and Inspection at the Ministry of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change.
Following the opening speeches, the presentations comprehensively addressed import, export and licensing procedures relating to the transport of recyclable plastic waste by sea, as well as the Waste Shipment Regulation and notification processes, which are of critical importance at an international level. During the programme, which assessed legal processes from the perspective of maritime trade law, Türkiye’s waste import dynamics, efforts to align with European Union legislation, and the official procedures and operational steps carried out at customs were discussed in depth from both sectoral and legal perspectives.
The Q&A session, during which participants voiced their concerns regarding current EU legislation and its implications, concluded with the programme becoming more effective and beneficial thanks to the active participation of the Director General, Department Heads and Branch Managers. This interactive session, which offered sector representatives the opportunity to convey their on-the-ground experiences and the regulatory obstacles they faced directly to the authorities, forged a strong bridge between the public and private sectors. Thanks to the solution-oriented approaches and detailed briefings provided by the officials, the foundations were laid for taking concrete steps to eliminate obstacles in the trade and reporting processes relating to marine litter.
