EMAS registration
By monitoring and systematically improving the environmental performance of your business, you can help to reduce your energy consumption, make sure that the resources you use protect the environment, and improve your reputation. As a company, you can request registration under the EU's Eco-management and Audit Scheme (EMAS).
Benefits of EMAS registration for your company
EMAS can help your company:
- cut costs related to resources and waste management
- minimise environmental risks and danger of fines related to environmental legislation
- comply with regulatory requirements
- benefit from environmental regulatory relief (for example, reporting requirements and inspections)
- improve relations with internal and external stakeholders
- continuously improve your environmental performance
- achieve a competitive advantage by enhancing your credibility, transparency, and reputation among your customers
EMAS's registration process is transparent and the environmental management system is verified by an independent third party, which guarantees the credibility of the scheme. Only registered organisations may use the EMAS logo.
Requirements for EMAS registration
To obtain EMAS registration, you must take several steps, such as:
- conduct a comprehensive environmental review to assess your company's impact
- adopt an environmental policy and programme in which you involve employees and external stakeholders
- establish and implement an environmental management system
- prepare an environmental statement
- get the environmental management system verified and the environmental statement validated by an environmental verifier
For technical support and information on how to implement EMAS, you can contact the competent authority in your country:
Choose country
EMAS for SMEs
If you are an SME, you can benefit from several advantages when you register for EMAS:
- You can carry out the EMAS full verification every four years, instead of every three. This reduces administrative burdens and allows for longer periods between audits.
- The time period for an internal audit can be extended from one year to two
- You can publish your environmental statement every two years instead of every year, if you forward the non-validated, updated environmental statement to the Competent Body every year
- Environmental verifiers consider SMEs' specific characteristics when evaluating their environmental management system and report
- Fees are designed to be proportionate to the size of the organisation
Some regions and EU countries offer financial support for your EMAS application. To find out if this applies to your country, you can contact the competent authority.
Sample story
Going green made easy: Sofia's EMAS experience
Sofia runs a small manufacturing business in Portugal and cares deeply about reducing
its impact on the environment. To show her commitment to sustainability, she decided
to register her company with the EU’s Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS).
Initially, Sofia was worried about the time and costs, but she quickly discovered
that EMAS made things easier for small businesses like hers. For instance, Sofia's
company only needed to undergo a major review every four years instead of three, internal
checks could be spread out over two years, and her environmental report only needed
updating every two years.
Even the fees were adjusted based on her company's size. On top of that, Sofia found out that her region offered financial support for EMAS registration, which made the decision to go green even more affordable.
Use the available tools and support
If you plan to apply for EMAS registration, you can use EMAS Easy, which is a comprehensive tool for EMAS implementation. EMAS Easy helps your company to implement EMAS in a way that takes into account the size, financial capacity and organisational culture of small businesses. Consult the EMAS Easy guidance and follow the steps for EMAS registration.
For further support for SMEs, check out the EMAS SME corner.