22.12.2009 Official Journal of the European Union L 3421 (Acts adopted under the EC Treaty/Euratom Treaty whose publication is obligatory) REGULATIONS REGULATION (EC) No 1221/2009 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 25 November 2009 on the voluntary participation by organisations in a Community eco-management and audit scheme (EMAS), repealing Regulation (EC) No 761/2001 and Commission Decisions 2001/681/EC and 2006/193/EC THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EURO- PEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Commu- nity, and in particular Article 175(1) thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the Commission, Having regard to the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee (1), Having regard to the opinion of the Committee of the Regions (?), Acting in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 251 of the Treaty (3), Whereas: (1) Article 2 of the Treaty provides that the Community is to have among its tasks the promotion of sustainable growth throughout the Community. (20 Decision No 1600/2002/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 July 2002 laying down the Sixth Community Environment Action Programme (%) identifies the improvement of collaboration and partnership with enterprises as a strategic approach to meeting environmen- tal objectives. Voluntary commitments are an essential part thereof. Encouraging wider participation in the Communi- ty’s eco-management and audit scheme (EMAS) and the (") Opinion of 25 February 2009 (not yet published in the Official Jour- nal). (2) 0] C 120, 28.5.2009, p. 56. (%) Opinion of the European Parliament of 2 April 2009 (not yet pub- lished in the Official Journal) and Council Decision of 26 October 2009. (% OJ L 242, 10.9.2002, p. 1. development of initiatives to encourage organisations to publish rigorous and independently verified environmen- tal or sustainable development performance reports is regarded as necessary in this context. The Commission Communication of 30 April 2007 on the Mid-term review of the Sixth Community Environment Action Programme recognises that there is a need to improve the functioning of the voluntary instruments that have been designed for industry and that those instruments have a great potential but have not been fully developed. It calls upon the Commission to revise the instruments in order to promote their participation and reduce the admin- istrative burden in their management. The Commission Communication of 16 July 2008 on the Sustainable Consumption and Production and Sustainable Industrial Policy Action Plan recognises that EMAS helps organisations to optimise their production processes, reducing environmental impacts and making more effec- tive use of resources. For the purpose of promoting a coherent approach between the legislative instruments developed at Commu- nity level in the field of environmental protection, the Commission and the Member States should consider how registration under EMAS may be taken into account in the development of legislation or used as a tool in the enforce- ment of legislation. They should also, in order to raise the appeal of EMAS for organisations, take account of EMAS in their procurement policies and, where appropriate, refer to EMAS or equivalent environmental management sys- tems as contract performance conditions for works and service.