Funding, Objectives and Benefits

What is the objective of EMAS?

The objective of EMAS is the continuous improvement of operational environmental protection. With the environmental management system EMAS, ecological and economic weaknesses in organisations can be eliminated, and materials and energy—and thus costs—can be saved. EMAS therefore benefits not only the environment but also companies and public administration.

This objective is to be achieved through:

• the establishment and application of environmental management systems (EMS) by organisations, and a systematic, objective and regular performance evaluation of these EMS

• informing the public and maintaining an open dialogue with other stakeholder groups interested in organisational performance

• the active involvement of employees within organisations

• education and training that enable active participation in these tasks

Who are the key stakeholders for EMAS?

EMAS environmental management is aimed at companies and organisations that voluntarily establish and operate a management system for the continuous improvement of environmental performance. Currently, more than 250 organisations in Austria participate in EMAS, including not only manufacturing companies but increasingly also service providers and public institutions.

The Federal Ministry is responsible for leading the implementation of the requirements of the EMAS Regulation. On its behalf, the register of registered organisations is maintained by the Federal Environment Agency. The accreditation and supervision of environmental verifiers is the responsibility of the Federal Ministry. Environmental verifiers operating in Austria who are accredited in another EU Member State are also subject to supervision by the Federal Ministry. The European Commission has established bodies for the further development and coordination of the management of the register and the accreditation and supervision of environmental verifiers.

Austrian EMAS Organisation Register (umweltbundesamt.at) (in German only)

How can registration in the EMAS register be applied for?

Companies and organisations that aim to implement the EMAS environmental management system and wish to be included in the register of EMAS organisations can contact the team of the Federal Environment Agency for practical implementation at emas@umweltbundesamt.at.

What are the benefits of EMAS?

The positive experiences of companies and organisations in Austria confirm that EMAS offers many advantages, saves costs and enhances public image.

Legal certainty

Simplifications in administrative procedures, improved communication with authorities and neighbours, motivated employees and satisfied customers are among the “EMAS benefits”, as are savings in energy, raw materials and waste. Furthermore, the environmental management system provides greater legal certainty. As a preventive instrument of environmental protection, EMAS enables environmentally conscious and innovative organisations to maintain compliance with legal requirements through “legal compliance”.

Administrative simplifications for EMAS organisations

For example, under certain conditions, modifications to installations of EMAS organisations are subject to a simplified notification procedure. Organisations registered in the EMAS register may apply for a so-called “consolidated permit decision”, which combines all permits issued under federal environmental legislation for an installation into a single decision. Another administrative simplification is that EMAS and UMG organisations are not required to undergo an inspection pursuant to Section 82b of the Trade Regulation Act (GewO). These and further administrative simplifications are implemented in the Environmental Management Act.

Further benefits of EMAS

• EMAS creates transparency

• EMAS builds trust in the organisation

• EMAS increases a sense of responsibility

• EMAS creates credibility through independent verification by environmental verifiers

• EMAS saves costs by reducing paper consumption and waste volumes, and by saving energy and water

• EMAS increases legal certainty and ensures legal compliance

• EMAS involves employees and raises awareness of the benefits of operational environmental protection

Who benefits from EMAS?

Against the backdrop of rising energy costs, increasingly scarce resources, sustainably oriented markets and business partners, and a more critical public, active environmental management proves to be an important success factor. As a future-oriented management and audit system, EMAS helps organisations improve their innovation capacity, reduce environmental impacts and costs, and strengthen their credibility. Through the continuous improvement process initiated by EMAS certification, weaknesses can be systematically eliminated and potentials developed step by step.

This dynamic of progress also represents one of the main advantages over the international environmental management standard ISO 14001. Furthermore, EMAS automatically meets the requirements of ISO 14001, and the EMAS environmental verifier is authorised to issue an ISO 14001 certificate. In addition, an EMAS environmental management system also addresses the criteria of transparency (environmental statement) and increased legal certainty.

What are the legal foundations?

EMAS is a system based on legal requirements, which distinguishes it from other systems such as ISO 14001. EMAS is based on the European EMAS Regulation, and its national implementation is governed by the Environmental Management Act and the associated regulations.