Environment: Eco-management and audit scheme EMAS, voluntary participation by organisations (amend. regul. 1836/93/EEC)

OBJECTIVE: to allow the voluntary participation by organisations in a Community eco- management and audit scheme (EMAS) SUBSTANCE: Since April 1995 Regulation 1836/93/EEC of 29 June 1993 has allowed the voluntary participation of companies in the industrial sector in a Community eco-management and audit scheme (EMAS). This regulation provides economic operators from the industrial sector with a tool to implement good environmental management practices. The amendments proposed by the Commission seek to assist EMAS to make a greater contribution to sustainable development and to maintain the potential of this instrument based on the market. The main elements of the proposal which will help to achieve this aim are: - opening the scope of EMAS to cover all organisations with significant environmental effects; - inclusion of ISO 14001 specifications as the environmental management system (EMS) of EMAS; - involvement of the employees of organisations in the implementation of EMAS; - increasing the participation of SMEs by developing a set of different supporting tools; - adoption of a visible and recognisable logo; - strengthening the follow-up of improvements in environmental performance achieved by the organisations; - enhancement of the added value of EMAS compared to other EMS; - improvement of the consistency of the implementation of EMAS in the Member States. �