EMAS
EMAS stands for “Eco Management and Audit Scheme.” This is the title of Regulation (EC) No. 1221/2009, which requires Member States to introduce a system under which organizations can register voluntarily as EMAS participants. These organizations may also use the EMAS logo. The condition is that an organization has an environmental management system and prepares an annual environmental statement. Both must have been approved by an EMAS verifier. SCCM is the competent body for EMAS in the Netherlands and registers participants.
Why is EMAS interesting, and for whom?
The aim of EMAS is to encourage both public and private organizations to improve their environmental performance. By introducing an environmental management system, carrying out internal audits, and publishing an annual environmental report for the public, organizations are encouraged to continuously improve their environmental performance. EMAS registration offers an organization advantages when obtaining contracts from both public and private organizations. There are also Member States that offer benefits in the supervision of compliance with environmental laws and regulations.
In various European directives (such as the Energy Efficiency Directive), it is possible to meet the requirements of the relevant directive by using EMAS registration as a basis.
In the European Union, approximately 4,300 organizations are registered under EMAS. Together, these organizations have about 18,000 sites. These organizations are in a wide range of sectors and of different sizes. All sites of the European Commission and European bodies must be EMAS registered.
Within the European Union, there are a number of Member States with a relatively large number of EMAS participants:
- Germany
- Austria
- Spain
- Italy
Especially in these countries, EMAS registration can also offer commercial advantages.