Verordening 2009/1221 - Vrijwillige deelneming van organisaties aan een gemeenschappelijk milieubeheer- en milieuauditsysteem (EMAS) - Hoofdinhoud

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

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 improvements of their 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 EMAS logo

An organisation successfully completing all these stages may use the EMAS logo on its letterheads, 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 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;
• - 

  Decisions (EU) 2017/2285 and (EU) 2020/1802 amending the user’s guide setting out the steps needed to participate in 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); and
• - 

  the waste management sector (Decision (EU) 2020/519).

Amendments to the legislation

Regulation (EC) No 1221/2009 has been amended 3 times:

• - 

  Regulation (EU) No 517/2013 amended the regulation, adapting it to take account of Croatia becoming a member of the European Union (EU) in July 2013.
• - 

  Regulation (EU) 2017/1505 amends Annexes I, II and III to take account of the requirements set out in the new version of the International Standard ISO 14001. Because organisations wishing to obtain or maintain both EMAS registration and ISO 14001 certification often conduct one integrated verification/certification process, coherence between the requirements of these two instruments should be kept.
• - 

  Regulation (EU) 2018/2026 amends Annex IV to address improvements identified in the light of experience gained in 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 in the original text. This consolidated version is of documentary value only.

RELATED DOCUMENTS

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 Decision (EU) 2017/2285 of 6 December 2017 amending the user’s guide setting out the steps needed to participate in EMAS, 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 328, 12.12.2017, pp. 38–86)

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 2013/131/EU of 4 March 2013 establishing the user’s guide setting out the steps needed to participate in EMAS, 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 76, 19.3.2013, pp. 1–39)

See consolidated version.

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 24.09.2021

Deze samenvatting is overgenomen van EUR-Lex.