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DIPLOMATIC manoeuvring by Denmark has headed off an attempt by the recycling industry and the US, Australian and German governments to undermine an international ban on the export of toxic waste to developing countries. But there is still a risk that the embargo will face further challenges in the future.

The ban covers exports from OECD to non-OECD countries and was agreed a year ago by members of the UN鈥檚 Basel Convention on international trade in hazardous waste. The first part of the agreement, which prohibits exports of toxic waste for disposal, came into force last year and has widespread support. However, the three governments and the $50 billion a year recycling industry oppose an extension of the ban to exports for recycling, which is due to come into force at the end of 1997.

Green groups had feared that opponents would use a 鈥済lobal workshop鈥� on toxic waste exports in Dakar, Senegal, last week to launch an attack on the ban (This Week, 18 February). In the event, Denmark offered to host further discussions on what the ban should cover, deflecting any serious attempt to overturn it.

The US, Germany and a host of industry representatives spoke against the ban, which was strongly defended by Romania, Albania, the Bahamas and the Nordic countries. Britain, which says it supports the ban, made no clear contribution to the discussion.

At the insistence of Bakary Kante, director of Senegal鈥檚 environment ministry, the workshop confined itself to the technical problems of implementing the ban, and in particular on deciding which wastes should be classed as hazardous. Recycling companies fear that the ban could prevent what they regard as 鈥渟afe鈥� trade in used textiles, paper and scrap iron 鈥� a fear that the ban鈥檚 supporters dismiss as alarmist. In its final statement, the workshop says that there is 鈥渁n urgent need to accelerate the process to resolve definitions鈥�. It agreed to a Danish offer to convene an 鈥渋nformal advisory group鈥� in Copenhagen in May to begin work on the problem.

鈥淚 had this strong feeling at the workshop in Dakar that there are many misunderstandings about the Basel ban,鈥� says Claus Reinhartthanson, the head of the toxic waste division at Denmark鈥檚 environment protection agency. He hopes that the Copenhagen meeting will help to dispel industry鈥檚 concerns about the scope of the ban. Denmark is leading a campaign to strengthen the ban by incorporating it into the text of the Basel Convention.

Greenpeace described the outcome as an 鈥渦tter failure鈥� for those who aimed to undermine the ban, while the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) spoke of 鈥渁 move in the right direction鈥�.

But a leaked ICC document produced by Greenpeace reveals that business has also laid plans to circumvent the 1997 ban. 鈥淚ndustry,鈥� it says, 鈥渨ould argue that it is preferable to overturn the ban.鈥� But a more realistic approach, says the document, is to try to persuade developing countries to continue 鈥渆nvironmentally-sound trade in recyclables beyond January 1998鈥� by means of bilateral agreements, which may be allowed under the convention.

When asked this week if such a tactic is still an option, the ICC鈥檚 representative, Denise O鈥橞rien, said: 鈥淚 think so.鈥�