WRITTEN QUESTION No. 3942/98 by Anita POLLACK EMAS
C 320/92 Official Journal of the European Communities EN 6. 11. 1999 (1999/C 320/125) WRITTEN QUESTION E-3942/98 by Anita Pollack (PSE) to the Commission (4 January 1999) Subject: EMAS At what stage is the revised sustainable management and audit scheme? Answer given by Mrs Bjerregaard on behalf of the Commission (4 February 1999) On 30 October 1998, the Commission adopted a proposal for a Council Regulation allowing participation by organisations in a Community eco-management and audit scheme (EMAS) (1) following a review of Council Regulation (EEC) 1836/93 of 29 June 1993 allowing voluntary participation by companies in the industrial sector in a Community eco-management and audit scheme (2). The Community took the opportunity of this review pursuant to Article 20 of Regulation (EEC) 1836/93 to carry out wide-ranging consultations with the various interested parties, in order to arrive at a balanced proposal of benefit both to the environment and the organisations eligible to participate in EMAS. Among the new features of this proposal, the extension of the scope of the Regulation to all economic activities will increase coverage of environmental impacts, leading to an overall improvement in environ- mental performance. Organisations such as financial institutions or local authorities will thus have an effective tool at their disposal to manage their environmental effects, which can be just as significant as those encountered in industry. Care has also been taken to ensure that EMAS is compatible with the international standard ISO 14001, compared with which, however, EMAS has added value. In addition to the internal management of environmental impacts in the framework of ISO 14001, EMAS requires organisations to improve their environmental performance and to inform the outside world of the progress made via an environmental statement validated by an independent party. This added value will enhance the registered organisations’ credibility, in particular vis-à-vis the inspection authorities and the public. The new proposal also aims to encourage the participation of organisations irrespective of their size. It is therefore planned to improve information to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), to define support tools, to make verifiers more aware of the conditions under which SMEs operate and to encourage large firms to support their small-business suppliers in implementing EMAS. Finally, the organisations registered in compliance with EMAS may use a logo to advertise their voluntary efforts to improve environmental performance. The conditions under which the logo may be used are narrowly defined in order to maintain a balance between communication and credibility, and in particular to avoid any confusion with a product label. (1) OJ C 400, 22. 12. 1998. (2) OJ L 168, 10. 7. 1993. (1999/C 320/126) WRITTEN QUESTION E-3945/98 by Anita Pollack (PSE) to the Commission (4 January 1999) Subject: Brownfield sites/contaminated land Has the Commission given any thought to the possibility of developing a market-based instrument to encourage investment in or to support the development of brownfield sites?