Better environmental performance: Community eco-management and audit scheme (EMAS)

 

SUMMARY OF:

Regulation (EC) No 1221/2009 on the voluntary participation by organisations in a Community eco-management and audit scheme (EMAS)

WHAT IS THE AIM OF THE REGULATION?

It establishes the eco-management and audit scheme (EMAS), which is a voluntary premium environmental management tool for all kinds of organisations that are willing to evaluate, report on and improve their environmental performance.

KEY POINTS

The EMAS registration process

To receive EMAS registration, an organisation must:

• conduct a review of all the environmental aspects of its activities, products and services;
• adopt an environmental policy containing a commitment to comply with all the relevant legislation and to achieve continuous improvement of its environmental performance;
• develop a programme with information on specific environmental objectives and targets;
• establish an effective management system to achieve its environmental policy and ensure continuous improvement;
• carry out an environmental audit assessing the management system in place and overall conformity with its policy and programme;
• provide an environmental statement of its performance, set against its objectives, and the steps to be taken in the future.

Validation

The environmental review, management system, audit procedure and statement must be approved by an accredited environmental verifier.

The validated statement is registered and made publicly available.

Use of the EMAS logo

An organisation successfully completing all these stages may use the EMAS logo on its letterheads and in reference to its activities and services, to demonstrate its commitment to improving its environmental performance.

European Commission decisions

The European Commission has adopted a series of decisions in relation to Regulation (EC) No 1221/2009. They include:

• Decision 2011/832/EU concerning a guide on European Union (EU) corporate registration, non-EU-country and global registration under Regulation (EC) No 1221/2009;
• Decision (EU) 2016/1621 on a guidance document on notification to accreditation and licensing bodies by environmental verifiers active in an EU Member State other than that where the accreditation or licence was granted under Regulation (EC) No 1221/2009;
• Decision (EU) 2023/2463 on the publication of the user’s guide, setting out the steps needed to participate in the EMAS.

The Commission has also adopted a further series of decisions on sectoral reference documents – concerning best environmental management practices, sector environmental performance indicators and benchmarks of excellence for:

• the retail trade sector (Decision (EU) 2015/801);
• the tourism sector (Decision (EU) 2016/611);
• the food and beverage manufacturing sector (Decision (EU) 2017/1508);
• the agriculture sector (Decision (EU) 2018/813);
• the electrical and electronic equipment manufacturing sector (Decision (EU) 2019/63);
• the car manufacturing sector (Decision (EU) 2019/62);
• the public administration sector (Decision (EU) 2019/61);
• the waste management sector (Decision (EU) 2020/519);
• the fabricated metal products manufacturing sector (Decision (EU) 2021/2053);
• the telecommunications and information and communication technologies services sector (Decision (EU) 2021/2054).

Amendments to the legislation

Regulation (EC) No 1221/2009 has been amended three times.

• Regulation (EU) No 517/2013 amended the regulation to take account of Croatia becoming a member of the EU in July 2013.
• Regulation (EU) 2017/1505 amended Annexes I, II and III to take into account the requirements set out in the new version of the International Standard ISO 14001. Organisations wishing to obtain or maintain both EMAS registration and ISO 14001 certification often conduct a single integrated verification/certification process, so coherence between the requirements of these two instruments should be kept.
• Regulation (EU) 2018/2026 amended Annex IV to address improvements identified from experience gained during the operation of EMAS. Given the number and nature of these amendments, in the interests of clarity it was considered appropriate to replace Annex IV in its entirety.

Repeal

Regulation (EC) No 1221/2009 repeals Regulation (EC) No 761/2001 and Decisions 2001/681/EC and 2006/193/EC.

FROM WHEN DOES THE REGULATION APPLY?

It has applied since 11 January 2010.

BACKGROUND

For more information, see:

• Eco-management and audit scheme (European Commission).

MAIN DOCUMENT

Regulation (EC) No 1221/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 November 2009 on the voluntary participation by organisations in a Community eco-management and audit scheme (EMAS), repealing Regulation (EC) No 761/2001 and Commission Decisions 2001/681/EC and 2006/193/EC (OJ L 342, 22.12.2009, pp. 1–45).

Successive amendments to Regulation (EC) No 1221/2009 have been incorporated into the original text. This consolidated version is of documentary value only.

RELATED DOCUMENTS

Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2023/1533 of 24 July 2023 on the recognition of the requirements of the Ecoprofit environmental management system as complying with the corresponding requirements of the eco-management and audit scheme (EMAS) in accordance with Article 45 of Regulation (EC) No 1221/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council (OJ L 186, 25.7.2023, pp. 28–32).

Commission Decision (EU) 2023/2463 of 3 November 2023 on the publication of the user’s guide setting out the steps needed to participate in the EU eco-management and audit scheme (EMAS) pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 1221/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council (notified under document C(2023) 720) (OJ L, 2023/2463, 10.11.2023).

Commission Decision (EU) 2021/2053 of 8 November 2021 on the sectoral reference document on best environmental management practices, environmental performance indicators and benchmarks of excellence for the fabricated metal products manufacturing sector for the purposes of Regulation (EC) No 1221/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council (OJ L 420, 25.11.2021, pp. 55–86).

Commission Decision (EU) 2021/2054 of 8 November 2021 on the sectoral reference document on best environmental management practices, environmental performance indicators and benchmarks of excellence for the telecommunications and information and communication technologies (ICT) services sector for the purposes of Regulation (EC) No 1221/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council (OJ L 420, 25.11.2021, pp. 87–122).

Commission Decision (EU) 2020/519 of 3 April 2020 on the sectoral reference document on best environmental management practices, sector environmental performance indicators and benchmarks of excellence for the waste management sector under Regulation (EC) No 1221/2009 on the voluntary participation by organisations in a Community eco-management and audit scheme (EMAS) (OJ L 115, 14.4.2020, pp. 1–49).

Commission Decision (EU) 2019/61 of 19 December 2018 on the sectoral reference document on best environmental management practices, sector environmental performance indicators and benchmarks of excellence for the public administration sector under Regulation (EC) No 1221/2009 on the voluntary participation by organisations in a Community eco-management and audit scheme (EMAS) (OJ L 17, 18.1.2019, pp. 1–57).

Commission Decision (EU) 2019/62 of 19 December 2018 on the sectoral reference document on best environmental management practices, sector environmental performance indicators and benchmarks of excellence for the car manufacturing sector under Regulation (EC) No 1221/2009 on the voluntary participation by organisations in a Community eco-management and audit scheme (EMAS) (OJ L 17, 18.1.2019, pp. 58–93).

Commission Decision (EU) 2019/63 of 19 December 2018 on the sectoral reference document on best environmental management practices, sector environmental performance indicators and benchmarks of excellence for the electrical and electronic equipment manufacturing sector under Regulation (EC) No 1221/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the voluntary participation by organisations in a Community eco-management and audit scheme (EMAS) (OJ L 17, 18.1.2019, pp. 94–123).

Commission Decision (EU) 2018/813 of 14 May 2018 on the sectoral reference document on best environmental management practices, sector environmental performance indicators and benchmarks of excellence for the agriculture sector under Regulation (EC) No 1221/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the voluntary participation by organisations in a Community eco-management and audit scheme (EMAS) (OJ L 145, 8.6.2018, pp. 1–64).

See consolidated version.

Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2017/2286 of 6 December 2017 on the recognition of the requirements of the Eco-Lighthouse environmental management system as complying with the corresponding requirements of the eco-management and audit scheme (EMAS) in accordance with Article 45 of Regulation (EC) No 1221/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the voluntary participation by organisations in a Community eco-management and audit scheme (notified under document C(2017) 8082) (OJ L 328, 12.12.2017, pp. 87–117).

Commission Decision (EU) 2017/1508 of 28 August 2017 on the reference document on best environmental management practice, sector environmental performance indicators and benchmarks of excellence for the food and beverage manufacturing sector under Regulation (EC) No 1221/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the voluntary participation by organisations in a Community eco-management and audit scheme (EMAS) (OJ L 223, 30.8.2017, pp. 1–35).

Commission Decision (EU) 2016/1621 of 7 September 2016 adopting a guidance document on notification to accreditation and licensing bodies by environmental verifiers active in a Member State other than that where the accreditation or licence was granted under Regulation (EC) No 1221/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council (OJ L 242, 9.9.2016, pp. 32–35).

Commission Decision (EU) 2016/611 of 15 April 2016 on the reference document on best environmental management practice, sector environmental performance indicators and benchmarks of excellence for the tourism sector under Regulation (EC) No 1221/2009 on the voluntary participation by organisations in a Community eco-management and audit scheme (EMAS) (OJ L 104, 20.4.2016, pp. 27–69).

Commission Decision (EU) 2015/801 of 20 May 2015 on reference document on best environmental management practice, sector environmental performance indicators and benchmarks of excellence for the retail trade sector under Regulation (EC) No 1221/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the voluntary participation by organisations in a Community eco-management and audit scheme (EMAS) (OJ L 127, 22.5.2015, pp. 25–60).

Commission Decision 2011/832/EU of 7 December 2011 concerning a guide on EU corporate registration, third country and global registration under Regulation (EC) No 1221/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the voluntary participation by organisations in a Community eco-management and audit scheme (EMAS) (notified under document C(2011) 8896) (OJ L 330, 14.12.2011, pp. 25–38).

last update 22.12.2023