What is EMAS and is it suitable for my organisation?
What is EMAS?
EMAS (Eco-Management and Audit Scheme) is an environmental management and audit scheme, the requirements of which are set out in the EMAS Regulation.
Important to know concerning this step
Environmental management is part of the company's daily management, which contributes to resource-efficient and sustainable operations. The implementation of environmental management helps to reduce the environmental impact of the company and support the sustainable development of the company.
In Estonia, it is possible to implement standardised environmental management systems: ISO14001 and EMAS, as well as informal environmental management systems (e.g. a green office).
Read more about environmental management systems on the circular economy website of the Ministry of Climate Change or on the website of the Estonian Association for Environmental Management.
EMAS is an important environmental management tool that supports the achievement of the objectives of the European Green Deal. The organisation's overall environmental performance is regularly improved and monitored through EMAS.
The most important document in the implementation of EMAS is the EMAS Regulation and its annexes, the requirements of which the organisation must comply with.
EMAS benefits organisations of all sizes, including those whose resources and expertise in environmental management may be limited so far.
EMAS can be implemented by organisations in both the public and private sectors. NACE codes are used to identify the different types of economic activities.
Resources
A comprehensive overview of EMAS's principles, registration conditions and guidance materials is available on the Environmental Portal.
An overview of the interactive guidance material on the implementation of EMAS is available on the Environment Portal.
More information about EMAS can also be found on the European Commission's EMAS website.
Small organisations have the opportunity to use the EMAS Easy Ecomapping Guide.
If a sector has been issued a sector reference document, it must be used to identify known environmental aspects and impacts.
In Estonia, the competent authority for EMAS is the Environmental Agency, which guides organisations in starting EMAS, processes registration applications and supports the maintenance of registration.
For advice and assistance, organisations can contact the specialists of the Environment Agency at the e-mail address [email protected], who will provide instructions on the requirements, documentation and process stages.
EMAS-registered organisations can use the official EMAS logo in public materials and communication, confirming compliance with EU environmental management requirements.
The logo can be submitted with or without the organisation's EMAS registration number.
EMAS logo: https://keskkonnaportaal.ee/sites/default/files/Teemad/Ringmajandus/EMAS/Kuvat%C3%B5mmis%202026-02-03%20210618.png
The requirements of EMAS and ISO 14001:2015 regarding the implementation of the environmental management system are similar, but the EMAS regulation has established some additional requirements that the organisation must meet. A more detailed comparison between ISO 14001:2015 and EMAS is set out in Annex II of the EMAS Regulation, which sets out the requirements of the environmental management system and the additional EMAS requirements that organisations need to address:
- the company must prepare a preliminary environmental overview (Annex I);
- EMAS sets stricter requirements for increased employee involvement, regulatory compliance, communication and environmental performance (Annex II, Part B), as well as internal auditing (Annex III);
- the company must prepare an environmental report in accordance with the requirements (Annex IV) and it must be available to the public.
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.