Implementation of EMAS
Verification audit
The purpose of the verification audit is to demonstrate that the organisation's environmental management system complies with the requirements of the EMAS Regulation. The verifier's declaration issued by the verifier is a certificate that the organisation has implemented the EMAS environmental management system and is functioning in accordance with the requirements of the EMAS Regulation.
Important to know concerning this step
The verification audit may be carried out by an EMAS-accredited verifier. Information about the certifiers accredited in Estonia can be found here.
Information about certifiers accredited elsewhere in Europe can be found here.
Choose an accredited verifier who specialises in the organisation's NACE code.
It is reasonable to contact the auditor already at the planning stage of the implementation of EMAS. This ensures sufficient time to plan the necessary obligations and to agree on the scope and volume of proof at an early stage. Early involvement helps to avoid situations where it turns out that there is no certified verifier for a specific field in Estonia. In this case, the verifier will have to apply for the appropriate accreditation, which may take time and affect the overall timetable for the implementation of EMAS.
To arrange the certification, you must submit an application to the selected verification company, which usually responds within a few working days. After that, the time and practical arrangements of the audit (necessary materials, schedule, locations, participants) are agreed upon with the verifier.
A verification audit is a 3-step process that aims to assess whether an organisation's environmental management system complies with the requirements of the EMAS Regulation and whether the environmental statement is proper and reliable. The audit is carried out by an accredited verifier and the audit checks the documentation, the implementation of the system and the accuracy of the environmental report.
1. Stage I of the audit (usually 1 day)
At this stage, the organization's documentation, internal audits, and management review are evaluated. The verifier examines the previously submitted materials, maps possible deficiencies and, if necessary, specifies non-compliances. As a result of this stage, a report is prepared with preliminary findings and non-compliances. The time of the main audit is also agreed.
2. Stage II of the audit, i.e. the main audit (1–2 days, depends on the organisation)
The second stage focuses on the practical implementation of the system. The verifier visits the organisation's sites, assesses through interviews and observations whether the processes are working as required, and verifies that the environmental management complies with EMAS requirements. At the end of the stage, a written report is submitted, on the basis of which the identified non-compliances must be eliminated, usually within a period of up to 3 months.
3. Stage III of the audit – certification of the environmental statement
The third stage aims to verify the compliance of the organisation's environmental report with EMAS requirements.
After completing the stages of the verification audit, the verifier has 2 weeks to prepare an audit report highlighting the findings, non-compliances and observations. The audit report is confidential and will not be disclosed to third parties.
If the organization does not remedy the identified non-conformities within 3 months, the verification audit will be discontinued and a new audit cycle must be started to continue the process.
Once the non-compliances have been eliminated and the verification has been successfully carried out, the verifier issues a declaration, a certification scheme and a validated environmental statement together with a certificate of accreditation, which is the basis for EMAS registration.
More information on the verification audit can be found in Articles 18 and 19 of the EMAS Regulation and in the EMAS Interactive Guide.
A verification plan is a document that an accredited EMAS verifier prepares after the verification audit has been carried out. This is a formal audit plan that describes how and when an organisation's EMAS compliance will be assessed. The purpose of the verification plan is to ensure that the annual audits are carried out in a transparent manner, according to a pre-established schedule, and that all necessary sites, processes and documentation are assessed.
A surveillance audit verifies that an organisation's environmental management system is functioning properly even after it has been registered with EMAS. The audit is generally carried out once a year and consists of a review of documents and assessments made during the on-site visit.
The audit examines whether the implementation of the system complies with the requirements of EMAS, assesses the management of environmental aspects and identifies possible non-compliances.
A supervisory audit is shorter in scope than an initial assurance audit. A written report is prepared as a result of the surveillance audit. If non-conformities are found in the audit, the organization usually has up to 3 months to eliminate them.
More information on the supervisory audit can be found in Articles 18 and 19 of the EMAS Regulation and in the EMAS Interactive Guide.
The pre-audit is a voluntary initial assessment that can be ordered before the official EMAS audit process. The purpose of the preliminary audit is to identify possible deficiencies and areas for improvement in the environmental management system so that the company can eliminate them before the assessment audit. The pre-audit is a one-off and does not entail any subsequent obligations and does not require earlier compliance with EMAS requirements.
If an organisation wishes to carry out a pre-audit, it can contact accredited EMAS verifiers who can help assess readiness.
References
Annex I of the EMAS Regulation (Environmental Review)
Annex II of the EMAS Regulation (Environmental Management System Requirements)
EMAS Annex III (Internal Environmental Audit)
Annex IV of the EMAS Regulation (environmental reporting)
Annex V of the EMAS Regulation (EMAS logo)
Annex VI of the EMAS Regulation (information requirements for registration)
Annex VII of the EMAS Regulation (verifier's declaration of verification and validation)
Contacts
In case of any questions or to get advice, please contact the Environmental Agency. The Environmental Agency acts as the competent authority of EMAS in Estonia.