Definition: Eco-management and audit scheme

Category: Regional statistics

Th e EU eco-management and audit scheme (EMAS) is a management tool for companies and other organisations to evaluate, report on and improve their environmental performance. The scheme is regulated through Council Regulation (EEC) No 1836/93 of 29 June 1993 and has integrated ISO 14001 (international standard for environmental management systems) as its environmental management system component. ISO 14001 is primarily concerned with "environmental management".

It aims at helping an organisation to establish a new or improve an existing environmental management system (EMS), in order to minimise harmful eff ects on the environment caused by its activities, and continually to improve its environmental performance. http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/ramon/coded_files/sustainable_europe_2005.pdf#page=137 Council Regulation (EEC) No 1836/93