Eco-Management and Audit Scheme - EMAS Regulation: Structure

EMAS Regulation: Structure

The EU EMAS Regulation entails 52 Articles and 8 Annexes:

• Chapter I: General provisions
• Chapter II: Registration of organisations
• Chapter III: Obligations of registered organisations
• Chapter IV: Rules applicable to Competent Bodies
• Chapter V: Environmental verifiers
• Chapter VI: Accreditation and Licensing Bodies
• Chapter VII: Rules applicable to Member States
• Chapter VIII: Rules applicable to the Commission
• Chapter IX: Final provisions

• Annex I: Environmental review
• Annex II: Environmental management system requirements (based on EN ISO 14001:2004) and additional issues to be addressed by organisations implementing EMAS
• Annex III: Internal environmental audit
• Annex IV: Environmental reporting
• Annex V: EMAS logo
• Annex VI: Information requirements for registration
• Annex VII: Environmental verifier’s declaration on verification and validation activities
• Annex VIII: Correlation table (EMAS II/EMAS III)

Although EMAS is an official EU Regulation, it is binding only for organisations which voluntarily decide to implement the scheme. The EMAS Regulation includes the environmental management system requirements of the international standard for environmental management, ISO 14001, and additional requirements for EMAS registered organisations such as employee engagement, ensuring legal compliance or the publication of an environmental statement. Because of its additional requirements, EMAS is known as the premium instrument for environmental management.