EMAS

Contents

1  EMAS Eco Management and Audit Scheme

2  EMAS organisational structure

3  Legislation

4  How to register your organisation with EMAS

5  The EMAS logo and its use

6  Benefits of EMAS registration

7  Information documents

8  EMAS guidance prepared by the European Commission

9  EMAS registration list

1 EMAS Eco Management and Audit Scheme

Environmental concerns, growing public pressure and government regulation are changing the business environment worldwide. Consumers and shareholders increasingly demand environmentally safe products and services. It is becoming ever more important for organisations to demonstrate that their philosophy, investment strategies and day-to-day operations are sustainable.

The European Union Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) is a voluntary scheme for companies and other organisations wishing to commit to assessing, managing and improving their environmental performance. The scheme was established in 1993 and revised in 2001 and 2009.

Its aim is to encourage participating organisations to continually improve and assess their environmental performance. Responsibility for implementing and promoting EMAS in the European Union is shared by several institutions. The Commission deals with the development and oversight of the scheme at EU level. It also coordinates promotional activities across Europe and has established the EMAS Helpdesk to assist the Commission, particularly by answering enquiries from the public and businesses.

Each Member State must establish a national registration and assessment system administered by a designated Competent Body and an Accreditation Body.

• EMAS organisational structure
• Legislation
• How to register your organisation with EMAS
• Stages of EMAS implementation
• The EMAS logo and its use
• Benefits of EMAS registration
• Information documents
• EMAS guidance prepared by the European Commission
• EMAS registration list

2 EMAS organisational structure

EMAS

The Community Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) is a voluntary scheme for companies and other organisations wishing to commit to assessing, managing and improving their environmental performance. The scheme was established in 1993 and revised in 2001.

EMAS is similar to ISO 14001 but sets more demanding requirements. EMAS-registered organisations must demonstrate compliance with environmental legislation and make information publicly available on their significant environmental aspects, related environmental objectives and targets, and key environmental performance data. Responsibility for implementing and promoting EMAS in the European Union is shared by several institutions. The Commission deals with the development and oversight of the scheme at EU level.

It also coordinates promotional activities across Europe and has established the EMAS Helpdesk to assist the Commission, particularly by answering enquiries from the public and businesses. Each Member State must establish a national registration and assessment system administered by a designated Competent Body and an Accreditation Body.

National Competent Bodies

Each Member State must establish an independent and neutral Competent Body to organise the registration of sites within its territory. Competent Bodies are responsible for assigning registration numbers to organisations that have submitted validated environmental statements, collecting registration fees, suspending or deleting registrations, and providing information on organisations included in the national EMAS register.

The Commission must be notified of any changes to the register. A peer review process ensures consistency in registration procedures across Competent Bodies, whose representatives meet once a year to exchange information.

The EMAS Competent Body in Lithuania

Environmental Protection Agency of Lithuania
A. Juozapavičiaus g. 9, LT-2006 Vilnius
Tel.: 8 642 38712

https://aaa.lrv.lt

Environmental verifiers

EMAS environmental verifiers are organisations or individuals with expertise in EMAS who have been accredited by their national Accreditation Body and are independent of the organisation being assessed, its auditor and its consultant. Their task is to ensure that organisations seeking registration meet the requirements of the EMAS Regulation.

Environmental verifiers must check whether an organisation complies with the applicable legal requirements, has carried out an initial environmental review where required, operates an environmental management system that is audited systematically, objectively and periodically, and has prepared an environmental statement that meets the requirements of the EMAS Regulation.

They also assess the reliability and accuracy of the information and data in the environmental statement and of other environmental information published by the organisation.

National Accreditation and Licensing Bodies

National accreditation bodies designated under Regulation (EC) No 765/2008 are responsible for accrediting environmental verifiers and supervising their activities under the EMAS Regulation. Member States may also designate licensing bodies to issue licences to environmental verifiers and supervise their activities. The scope of accreditation or licensing is defined by NACE codes and must reflect the verifier’s competence.

Accreditation and licensing bodies maintain and update national lists of environmental verifiers and their accredited or licensed scopes. Changes must be communicated monthly to the European Commission and the relevant Competent Body. Cooperation is organised through the Forum of Accreditation and Licensing Bodies (FALB), which meets at least once a year and develops guidance to ensure consistent accreditation, licensing and supervision procedures. Peer evaluations of EMAS accreditation and licensing activities take place at least every four years.

The EMAS Accreditation Body in Lithuania

Lithuanian Accreditation and Standardization Agency (LASA)
An institution under the Ministry of the Economy and Innovation of the Republic of Lithuania
Accreditation Department
Mindaugo str. 12, 03225 Vilnius, Lithuania
Tel.: +370 630 66782

https://lasa.lrv.lt/en/

The Commission

The Commission’s main task is to ensure the proper implementation of EMAS and to assess and promote the scheme at EU level, for example by disseminating information on best practices. Using information collected from the Member States, the Commission decides whether specific measures are needed to encourage participation in EMAS, particularly among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

The Commission encourages cooperation between Member States and, together with stakeholders, is responsible for preparing guidance documents to ensure consistent implementation of EMAS requirements throughout the Member States. When setting public procurement policy criteria, the Commission and other Community institutions will seek to take EMAS into account. The Commission maintains registers of environmental verifiers and EMAS-registered organisations and ensures that they are accessible to the public.

Five years after the EMAS Regulation enters into force, the Commission will review the operation of the scheme and related international developments, and assess the use, recognition and interpretation of the EMAS logo. The Commission is also responsible for providing technical assistance to candidate countries establishing the structures required to implement the scheme.

Member States

Member States are responsible for implementing EMAS in their countries and must provide the Commission with information on progress. They establish and oversee Competent Bodies and Accreditation Bodies and prepare guidance on suspending and deleting organisations’ registrations.

Each Member State must decide how EMAS registration can be taken into account when developing environmental legislation and enforcing it, including through regulatory relief. The Commission must be informed of decisions taken in this context. At national level, Member States promote participation in EMAS among businesses and other organisations.

For small and medium-sized enterprises, the EMAS Regulation requires Member States to establish or support specific technical assistance measures to help them register and comply with EMAS requirements. To encourage participation in EMAS, Member States should also consider how EMAS registration can be taken into account in public procurement and inform the Commission of decisions taken in this context.

The Article 14 Committee

The Committee referred to in Article 14 is the EMAS Steering Committee. Chaired by the Commission, it represents Member States and various interest groups, including industry, associations and environmental non-governmental organisations. Several Committee meetings are held each year to assist the Commission with practical issues concerning implementation of the EMAS Regulation. The Committee’s remit is defined in the Regulation.

Its responsibilities include identifying best practices for expanding the scheme, adopting rules on use of the logo, and reviewing and updating the annexes to the Regulation.

The EMAS Helpdesk

On behalf of the Commission, the EMAS Helpdesk collects information from Member States on registered organisations and accredited environmental verifiers. It also provides promotional and information services to all interested parties through the EMAS website and by responding to enquiries made by telephone, fax or email.

3 Legislation

1.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, as amended. The link provides access to the consolidated text of the EMAS Regulation.

2.Resolution No 19 of the Government of the Republic of Lithuania of 12 January 2011 on implementing 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, as amended.

3. National legislation on environmental supervision and liability, as amended:

• Law No IX-1005 of the Republic of Lithuania of 1 July 2002 on State Environmental Supervision, establishing the framework for state environmental supervision.
• Code of Administrative Offences of the Republic of Lithuania, approved by Law No XII-1869 of 25 June 2015, particularly Article 237, which establishes administrative liability for unlawful use of the EMAS logo and infringements of the applicable requirements.
• Law No I-2223 of the Republic of Lithuania of 21 January 1992 on Environmental Protection, particularly Article 58, which establishes liability for legal persons for infringements of environmental labelling requirements, including unlawful use of the EMAS logo.

4.Resolution No 1458 of the Government of the Republic of Lithuania of 15 December 2000 on approving the List of Specific Amounts of State Fees and the Rules for the Payment and Refund of State Fees, as amended.

6.Order No AV-208 of the Director of the Environmental Protection Agency of 30 September 2011 approving the Procedure for Registration, Renewal, Suspension and Deletion of Registration for Organisations Voluntarily Participating in the Community Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS), as amended.

4 How to register your organisation with EMAS

To obtain EMAS registration, an organisation must complete the following steps:

1. Carry out an environmental review.

2. Develop and implement an environmental management system (EMS).

3. Carry out an environmental audit.

4. Prepare an environmental statement.

5. Have the environmental statement independently verified and validated.

6. Register with the EMAS Competent Body.

1 Carry out an environmental review

Examine all of the organisation’s environmental aspects, legal and other requirements, existing environmental management practices and procedures, and the findings of investigations into previous incidents and the responses to them.

2 Develop and implement an environmental management system

Based on the findings of the environmental review, develop an effective environmental management system to implement the environmental policy established by the organisation’s top management. The system must define responsibilities, objectives, measures, operating procedures, training needs, and monitoring and communication systems.

3 Carry out an environmental audit

Assess the organisation’s environmental performance, management system and processes to determine compliance with its environmental policy and programmes and with the relevant environmental legal requirements.

4 Prepare an environmental statement

The environmental statement must set out the results achieved against the organisation’s environmental objectives and targets. It must also describe the measures the organisation intends to implement to continually improve its environmental performance.

5 Have the environmental statement independently verified and validated

The environmental statement must be examined and validated by an independent verifier accredited by an EMAS Accreditation Body.

6 Register with the EMAS Competent Body

The validated environmental statement must be submitted to the EMAS Competent Body (the EMAS Competent Body in Lithuania), which enters the company or organisation in the EMAS register. The statement must be available to the public and other interested parties. An EMAS-registered organisation may use the EMAS logo.

The environmental review, EMS and audit procedure must be verified, and the environmental statement validated, by an accredited EMAS environmental verifier. Once the validated statement has been submitted to the EMAS Competent Body for registration and made publicly available, the organisation becomes entitled to use the EMAS logo.

5 The EMAS logo and its use

One of the key elements of the revised EMAS is to provide a range of ways to communicate environmental information to stakeholders. The EMAS logo was created for this purpose. Two versions of the logo have been established.

Verified environmental management
Registration No __________________

The EMAS logo has the following functions:

• To demonstrate that the information published by an organisation on its environmental performance is accurate and reliable.
• To confirm the organisation’s commitment to improving its environmental performance and properly managing its environmental aspects.
• To raise awareness of the scheme among the public, stakeholders and organisations wishing to improve their environmental performance.

For more information on how the EMAS logo may be used, see Article 10 of Regulation (EC) No 1221/2009 and Section 8.2 of the EMAS User’s Guide.

6 Benefits of EMAS registration

The main general benefits of implementing EMAS are as follows:

• Lower costs. Savings arise from reducing purchases of raw materials, energy and water, and from reducing or avoiding expenditure on waste and pollution management. These benefits are not limited to industry. Service companies, universities, public authorities, sports facilities and the wide range of other organisations eligible to participate in EMAS can also benefit from using energy and other resources more efficiently.

Implementing EMAS can substantially reduce expenditure on water, electricity, heating, office supplies and equipment, thereby improving profitability.

• Reduced risk. Reducing exposure to environmental risks can also bring financial benefits through greater confidence among shareholders, investors, insurers and financial institutions.
• Implementing an environmental management system often reveals opportunities to improve efficiency in other areas of the organisation’s activities.
• Competitiveness can be maintained or improved by being better able to meet customers’ growing environmental management requirements.
• A systematic approach to environmental management strengthens all other aspects of business management.
• The organisation becomes better able to comply with environmental legislation.
• The new EMAS logo and validated environmental statements provide clear evidence of sound environmental management and concern for public welfare. Both strengthen the organisation’s environmental image and can be used for marketing purposes to improve relations with customers, partners and other stakeholders. Greater trust can, in turn, improve relations with public authorities.
• Involving employees in implementing the environmental management scheme helps align their objectives with those of the company and encourages their more active involvement in the organisation’s long-term development.

Environmental concerns, growing public pressure and government regulation are changing the business environment worldwide. Consumers and shareholders increasingly demand environmentally sound products and services from socially responsible companies. It is becoming ever more important for organisations to demonstrate that their philosophy, investment strategies and day-to-day operations are sustainable. Benefits include:

• High-quality environmental management through the use of a well-developed scheme.
• Support for managing the organisation’s environmental risks.
• Resource savings and meeting the organisation’s needs at lower cost.
• A reduced financial burden associated with reactive management measures, such as remediation, emergency response and fines for non-compliance with legislation.
• Financial benefits from improved operational control.
• An incentive to make production processes more environmentally sound as environmental impacts increase worldwide.
• Verification of compliance with environmental legislation by EMAS environmental verifiers.
• Learning from good examples set by other companies and organisations.
• New business opportunities in markets that value environmentally clean production processes.
• Greater credibility and confidence when dealing with public authorities, business partners, consumers and citizens.
• Improved relations with the local community.
• Better working conditions and employee morale, and encouragement of teamwork.
• An advantage at the point of sale and an improved company image.

7 Information documents

Green public procurement (GPP) means purchasing goods, services or works with the lowest possible negative environmental impact at one, several or all stages of their life cycle. In Lithuania, the main national references include Order No D1-508 of the Minister of Environment of 28 June 2011 on applying environmental criteria in green public procurement and Government Resolution No 1133 of 21 July 2010 on setting and implementing green public procurement targets, as amended. Further information is available on the Ministry of Environment’s green public procurement website.

1. Accreditation of EMAS environmental verifiers in Lithuania.
The Lithuanian Accreditation and Standardization Agency (LASA) publishes the applicable requirements, including AD 5.15:2026 — Accreditation of Environmental Verifiers (EMAS): Specific Requirements, applied together with AD 5.1:2026 — Accreditation of Conformity Assessment Bodies: General Requirements. See LASA’s EMAS accreditation page.

2. EMAS statistics and registered organisations.
The European Commission’s EMAS facts and figures page provides registration statistics and access to the EMAS register, including organisations, sites and available environmental statements.

3. EMAS environmental statements and sustainability reporting.
The European Commission and EFRAG’s 2025 mapping of EMAS and the European Sustainability Reporting Standards explains how EMAS information can support sustainability reporting. This material should be read alongside the Commission’s current information on corporate sustainability reporting.

4. EMAS Easy.
The EMAS Easy handbook provides a practical methodology for small and medium-sized enterprises. This methodological resource should be used together with the current EMAS Regulation and User’s Guide.

5. Practical tools for implementing EMAS.
The Commission’s EMAS implementation tools include an instruction manual and tools for organisational information, environmental aspects, environmental responsibilities and data collection.

6. EMAS and ISO 14001.
The environmental management system requirements applicable to EMAS registration are set out in Annex II to the EMAS Regulation. Information on the latest edition of the ISO standard is available on the official ISO 14001:2026 webpage.

7. Examples of EMAS implementation.
Recent Commission case studies include Progeva’s experience with circular solutions and environmental improvements and Bergzeit’s approach to measuring and managing sustainable e-commerce.

8. Promoting and communicating EMAS.
The EMAS Communication Toolkit provides communication materials for registered organisations, including social media resources, posters, presentation templates and other promotional materials.

9. Environmental management systems in public procurement.
The Lithuanian Public Procurement Office provides guidance on Article 48 of the Law on Public Procurement, covering references to EMAS and other environmental management systems, proportionality of requirements and acceptance of equivalent evidence.

10. Benefits and incentives associated with EMAS.
The Commission’s overview of EMAS benefits covers resource efficiency, cost savings, credibility, employee involvement and potential regulatory incentives. The availability of particular incentives depends on the applicable national arrangements.

11. EMAS and environmental claims.
The Commission’s 2026 webinar resources on EMAS and consumer protection rules explain the relationship between EMAS and EU requirements concerning environmental claims and sustainability communication.

12. EMAS registration outside the European Union.
Commission Decision 2011/832/EU provides guidance on EU corporate registration, third-country registration and global registration. It remains in force and should be read together with the current EMAS User’s Guide.

13. EMAS and industrial environmental management requirements.
The Commission’s mapping of EMAS against the revised Industrial Emissions Directive explains how EMAS can support implementation of environmental management system requirements for industrial installations.

14. Sectoral reference documents and best environmental management practices.
The Commission’s EMAS sectoral reference documents provide sector-specific best practices, environmental performance indicators and benchmarks of excellence, together with supporting technical reports.

8 EMAS guidance prepared by the European Commission

1. EMAS User’s Guide.
Practical guidance on implementing EMAS and obtaining registration, published under Commission Decision (EU) 2023/2463 of 3 November 2023.

2. Guide on EU corporate registration, third-country registration and global registration.
Guidance adopted by Commission Decision 2011/832/EU of 7 December 2011 for organisations seeking registration across several countries or outside the European Union.

3. Guidance on notification requirements for environmental verifiers operating in another Member State.
Guidance adopted by Commission Decision (EU) 2016/1621 of 7 September 2016 on notifying accreditation and licensing bodies before carrying out verification activities in a Member State other than the one that granted the accreditation or licence.

4. Sectoral reference documents on best environmental management practices.
European Commission guidance providing best environmental management practices, sector-specific environmental performance indicators and benchmarks of excellence.

9 EMAS registration list

List of organisations whose activities comply with 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.

Environmental statements 2010 to 2025