PART A environmental management system requirements under EN ISO 14001:2015 PART B additional requirements for organisations implementing EMAS

Organisations participating in the eco-management and audit scheme (EMAS) shall implement the requirements of EN ISO 14001:2015 (1) which are reproduced below. A.4 Context of the organisation A.4.1 Understanding the organisation and its context The organisation shall determine external and internal issues that are relevant to its purpose and that affect its ability to achieve the intended outcomes of its environmental management system. Such issues shall include environmental conditions being affected by or capable of affecting the organisation. A.4.2 Understanding the needs and expectations of interested parties The organisation shall determine: (a) the interested parties that are relevant to the environmental management system; (b) the relevant needs and expectations (i.e. requirements) of these interested parties; (c) which of these needs and expectations become its compliance obligations. A.4.3 Determining the scope of the environmental management system The organisation shall determine the boundaries and applicability of the environmental management system to establish its scope. When determining this scope, the organisation shall consider: (a) the external and internal issues referred to in A.4.1; (b) the compliance obligations referred to in A.4.2; (c) its organisational unit(s), function(s), and physical boundaries; (d) its activities, products and services; (e) its authority and ability to exercise control and influence. Once the scope is defined, all activities, products and services of the organisation within that scope need to be included in the environmental management system. The scope shall be maintained as documented information and be available to interested parties. A.4.4 Environmental management system To achieve the intended outcomes, including enhancing its environmental performance, the organisation shall establish, implement, maintain and continually improve an environmental management system, including the processes needed and their interactions, in accordance with the requirements of this International Standard. The organisation shall consider the knowledge gained in 4.1 and 4.2 when establishing and maintaining the environmental management system.

A.5 Leadership A.5.1 Leadership and commitment Top management shall demonstrate leadership and commitment with respect to the environmental management system by: (a) taking accountability for the effectiveness of the environmental management system; (b) ensuring that the environmental policy and environmental objectives are established and are compatible with the strategic direction and the context of the organisation; (c) ensuring the integration of the environmental management system requirements into the organisation's business processes; (d) ensuring that the resources needed for the environmental management system are available; (e) communicating the importance of effective environmental management and of conforming to the environmental management system requirements; (f) ensuring that the environmental management system achieves its intended outcomes; (g) directing and supporting persons to contribute to the effectiveness of the environmental management system; (h) promoting continual improvement; (i) supporting other relevant management roles to demonstrate their leadership as it applies to their areas of responsibility. Note: Reference to ‘business’ in this International Standard can be interpreted broadly to mean those activities that are core to the purposes of the organisation's existence.

A.5.2 Environmental Policy Top management shall establish, implement and maintain an environmental policy that, within the defined scope of its environmental management system: (a) is appropriate to the purpose and context of the organisation, including the nature, scale and environmental impacts of its activities, products and services; (b) provides a framework for setting environmental objectives; (c) includes a commitment to the protection of the environment, including prevention of pollution and other specific commitment(s) relevant to the context of the organisation; Note: Other specific commitment(s) to protect the environment can include sustainable resource use, climate change mitigation and adaptation, and protection of biodiversity and ecosystems. (d) includes a commitment to fulfil its compliance obligations; (e) includes a commitment to continual improvement of the environmental management system to enhance environmental performance. The environmental policy shall: — be maintained as documented information, — be communicated within the organisation, — be available to interested parties. B.1. Continual improvement of environmental performance Organisations shall commit themselves to the continual improvement of their environmental performance. If an organisation comprises one or more sites, each of the sites to which EMAS applies shall comply with all the requirements of EMAS including the continual improvement of environmental performance as defined in Article 2(2).

A.5.3 Organisational roles, responsibilities and authorities Top management shall ensure that the responsibilities and authorities for relevant roles are assigned and communicated within the organisation. Top management shall assign the responsibility and authority for: (a) ensuring that the environmental management system conforms to the requirements of this International Standard; (b) reporting on the performance of the environmental management system, including environmental performance, to top management. B.2. Management representative(s) Top management shall appoint a specific top management representative(s) who, irrespective of other responsibilities, shall have defined roles, responsibilities and authority in order to ensure an environmental management system in compliance with this Regulation and to report to top management on the performance of the environmental management system. The top management representative may be a member of the top management of the organisation.

A.6 Planning A.6.1 Actions to address risks and opportunities A.6.1.1 General The organisation shall establish, implement and maintain the processes needed to meet the requirements in 6.1.1 to 6.1.4. When planning for the environmental management system, the organisation shall consider: — the issues referred to in 4.1, — the requirements referred to in 4.2, — the scope of its environmental management system; and determine the risks and opportunities, related to its: — environmental aspects (see 6.1.2), — compliance obligations (see 6.1.3), — other issues and requirements, identified in 4.1 and 4.2; that need to be addressed to: — give assurance that the environmental management system can achieve its intended outcomes, — prevent, or reduce, undesired effects, including the potential for external environmental conditions to affect the organisation, — achieve continual improvement. Within the scope of the environmental management system, the organisation shall determine potential emergency situations, including those that can have an environmental impact. The organisation shall maintain documented information of its: — risks and opportunities that need to be addressed, — processes needed in 6.1.1 to 6.1.4, to the extent necessary to have confidence they are carried out as planned. A.6.1.2 Environmental aspects Within the defined scope of the environmental management system, the organisation shall determine the environmental aspects of its activities, products and services that it can control and those that it can influence, and their associated environmental impacts, considering a life cycle perspective. When determining environmental aspects, the organisation shall take into account: (a) change, including planned or new developments, and new or modified activities, products and services; (b) abnormal conditions and reasonably foreseeable emergency situations. The organisation shall determine those aspects that have or can have a significant environmental impact by using established criteria. The organisation shall communicate its significant environmental aspects among the various levels and functions of the organisation, as appropriate. The organisation shall maintain documented information of its: — environmental aspects and associated environmental impacts, — criteria used to determine its significant environmental aspects, — significant environmental aspects. Note: Significant environmental aspects can result in risks and opportunities associated with either adverse environmental impacts (threats) or beneficial environmental impacts (opportunities). B.3 Environmental review Organisations shall carry out and document an initial environmental review as set out in Annex I. Organisations outside the Union shall also make reference to the legal requirements relating to the environment applicable to similar organisations in the Member States where they intend to submit an application.

A.6.1.3 Compliance obligations The organisation shall: (a) determine and have access to the compliance obligations related to its environmental aspects; (b) determine how these compliance obligations apply to the organisation; (c) take these compliance obligations into account when establishing, implementing, maintaining and continually improving its environmental management system. The organisation shall maintain documented information of its compliance obligations. Note: Compliance obligations can result in risks and opportunities to the organisation. A.6.1.4 Planning action The organisation shall plan: (a) to take actions to address its: (1) significant environmental aspects; (2) compliance obligations; (3) risks and opportunities identified in 6.1.1; (b) how to: (1) integrate and implement the actions into its environmental management system processes (see 6.2, Clause 7, Clause 8 and 9.1), or other business processes; (2) evaluate the effectiveness of these actions (see 9.1). When planning these actions, the organisation shall consider its technological options and its financial, operational and business requirements. B.4. Legal compliance Organisations registered with EMAS or wishing to register shall demonstrate that they have fulfilled all the following conditions: (1) they have identified, and know the implications to the organisation of all applicable legal requirements relating to the environment; (2) they ensure legal compliance with environmental legislation, including permits and permit limits and provide the appropriate evidence; (3) they have procedures in place that enable the organisation to ensure ongoing legal compliance with environmental legislation.

A.6.2 Environmental objectives and planning to achieve them

A.6.2.1 Environmental objectives The organisation shall establish environmental objectives at relevant functions and levels, taking into account the organisation's significant environmental aspects and associated compliance obligations, and considering its risks and opportunities. The environmental objectives shall be: (a) consistent with the environmental policy; (b) measurable (if practicable); (c) monitored; (d) communicated; (e) updated as appropriate. The organisation shall maintain documented information on the environmental objectives. A.6.2.2 Planning actions to achieve environmental objectives When planning how to achieve its environmental objectives, the organisation shall determine: (a) what will be done; (b) what resources will be required; (c) who will be responsible; (d) when it will be completed; (e) how the results will be evaluated, including indicators for monitoring progress toward achievement of its measurable environmental objectives (see 9.1.1). The organisation shall consider how actions to achieve its environmental objectives can be integrated into the organisation's business processes. B.5. Environmental objectives Organisations shall be able to demonstrate that the management system and the audit procedures address the actual environmental performance of the organisation with respect to the direct and indirect aspects. The means to achieve the objectives and targets cannot be environmental objectives.

A.7 Support A.7.1 Resources The organisation shall determine and provide the resources needed for the establishment, implementation, maintenance and continual improvement of the environmental management system.

A.7.2 Competence The organisation shall: (a) determine the necessary competence of person(s) doing work under its control that affects its environmental performance and its ability to fulfil its compliance obligations; (b) ensure that these persons are competent on the basis of appropriate education, training or experience; (c) determine training needs associated with its environmental aspects and its environmental management system; (d) where applicable, take actions to acquire the necessary competence, and evaluate the effectiveness of the actions taken. Note: Applicable actions can include, for example, the provision of training to, the mentoring of, or the reassignment of currently employed persons; or the hiring or contracting of competent persons. The organisation shall retain appropriate documented information as evidence of competence. B.6. Employee involvement (1) The organisation should acknowledge that active employee involvement is a driving force and a prerequisite for continuous and successful environmental improvements in addition to being a key resource in the improvement of environmental performance as well as the right method to anchor the environmental management and audit system in the organisation in a successful way. (2) ‘Employee involvement’ should be understood as including both direct employee participation and the provision of information to employees and their representatives. Therefore, there should be an employee participation scheme at all levels. The organisation should acknowledge that demonstration of commitment, responsiveness and active support by the management is a prerequisite for the success of those processes. In this context management should provide appropriate feedback to employees. (3) In addition to the these requirements, employees or their representatives shall be involved in the process aimed at continually improve the organisation's environmental performance through: (a) the initial environmental review; (b) the establishment and implementation of an environmental management and audit system improving environmental performance; (c) environmental committees or work groups gathering information and ensuring the participation of environmental officer/management representatives along with employees and their representatives; (d) joint working groups for the environmental action programme and environmental auditing; (e) the preparation of the environmental statements. (4) Appropriate forms of participation such as the suggestion-book system or project-based group works or environmental committees should be used for this purpose. Organisations shall take note of Commission guidance on best practice in this field. Where they so request, any employee representatives shall also be involved.

A.7.3 Awareness The organisation shall ensure that persons doing work under the organisation's control are aware of: (a) the environmental policy; (b) the significant environmental aspects and related actual or potential environmental impacts associated with their work; (c) their contribution to the effectiveness of the environmental management system, including the benefits of enhanced environmental performance; (d) the implications of not conforming with the environmental management system requirements, including not fulfilling the organisation's compliance obligations.

A.7.4 Communication A.7.4.1 General The organisation shall establish, implement and maintain the processes needed for internal and external communications relevant to the environmental management system, including: (a) on what it will communicate; (b) when to communicate; (c) with whom to communicate; (d) how to communicate. When establishing its communication process(es), the organisation shall: — take into account its compliance obligations; — ensure that environmental information communicated is consistent with information generated within the environmental management system, and is reliable. The organisation shall respond to relevant communications on its environmental management system. The organisation shall retain documented information as evidence of its communications, as appropriate. A.7.4.2 Internal communication The organisation shall: (a) internally communicate information relevant to the environmental management system among the various levels and functions of the organisation, including changes to the environmental management system, as appropriate; (b) ensure its communication process(es) enable(s) persons doing work under the organisation's control to contribute to continual improvement.

A.7.4.3 External communication The organisation shall externally communicate information relevant to the environmental management system, as established by the organisation's communication process(es) and as required by its compliance obligations. B.7. Communication (1) Organisations shall be able to demonstrate that they conduct an open dialogue with the public, the authorities and other interested parties including local communities and customers in relation to the environmental impact of their activities, products and services. (2) To ensure a high level of transparency and building confidence with interested parties, organisations registered under EMAS shall disclose specific environmental information as defined by Annex IV Environmental Reporting.