# Organizations towards the Evaluation of Environmental Management Tools ISO 14001 and EMAS
## 4 Research Results and Discussion
In the implementation of both EMAS (52% of organizations) and ISO 14001 (48% of organizations), knowledge-related difficulties and organizational problems with the preparation of documentation were indicated as the most important difficulty. Although the new standard ISO 14001:2015 has reduced the amount of documentation, the preparation of documentation is still a significant barrier for companies. This has been confirmed by other studies [50; 51; 52]. [PERSON], in an article published in 2018 [50], described the results of a survey conducted in German hospitals. She ascertained that an inexperience with the EMAS system and environmental issues may increase the costs for hospitals, e.g., due to the engagement of a professional consultant. The author proposed some recommendations to promote EMAS implementa  
Figure 1: Answers to the first question of the survey: Reasons for EMAS/ISO14001 implementation in companies. tions, e.g., specific information on EMAS and best practices, support from associations, the initial experience with other certifications. It can be very helpful to have an exchange of experience before EMAS implementation [50]. [PERSON] et al., in an article devoted to ISO 14001 audits [52], concluded that the International Organization for Standardization, as well as certification bodies, ought to adopt a more substantive approach to the standard implementation and verification (for example, the stakeholder inclusiveness promotion). The authors underlined that the clear and thorough environmental performance analysis conducted during certification audits influence the implementation of substantial changes to reduce the environmental impact of organization [52]. [PERSON] et al., in the research published in 2020, revealed that the surveyed employees declared that bureaucratic procedures are a problem (e.g., the excessive paperwork and the long time needed for it to be accepted, as well as the periodic audits to which they are subjected) [53]. This creates resistance among the employees, which is also confirmed by the first author's own research (limited knowledge among the staff regarding the benefits of implementation or resistance to implementation of changes--nine indications in the implementation of ISO 14001 standard). The time invested in EMS preparation and implementation was also indicated as another significant difficulty during EMAS introduction (11 answers). It turns out that organizations that previously implemented ISO 14001 still have substantive organizational problems with the implementation of EMAS. It is noteworthy that few organizations indicated financial problems as a serious obstacle to the implementation of EMS. In the case of ISO 14001, the financial problems were indicated by two organizations, and three in the case of EMAS, which represent 8% and 12% of companies which took the survey, respectively. The third question of the survey was to identify the internal benefits of EMAS/ISO14001 implementation. The most important benefits indicated included the compliance of the organization with regulations, improvement of environmental protection standards in the implementation of either ISO 14001 or EMAS, and improvement of the company's functioning. In the case of ISO 14001, this response was indicated by 48% of the organizations which took the survey; however, in the case of EMAS, this percentage was equal to 80% (Figure 3). This means that organizations that have implemented both systems, first ISO 14001 and then EMAS, very clearly appreciate the compliance with the regulations and perceive the benefits of increasing environmental protection standards after their introduction. Figure 2: Answers to the second question of the survey: Difficulties encountered during EMAS/ISO14001 implementation. The improved compliance with regulations also contributes to easier day-to-day business management [54].