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Standards for Environmental Management Systems (EMS)

Environmental Management Systems are tools for an organization to keep aware of the interactions that its products and activities have with the environment and to achieve and continuously improve the desired level of environmental performance. There are a various number of standards available, which facilitates the companies or institutions to implement an Environmental Management System, or EMS.

On the international scene we have ISO 14001 (International Standards Organization, Geneva, Switzerland). This standard is expected to be issued during 1996, and forms part of the ISO14000 series. The series are providing not only a specification but guidance and advice on a wide range of environmental issues including auditing, labeling, life-cycle assessment etc.. These standards will not replace regulations, legislation and codes of practice (such as Responsible Care) to which organizations must comply. However, the ISO standards will provide a voluntary mechanism to monitor, manage, and improve performance regarding environmental requirements. INEM has supported the development of international environmental management standards since the very beginning. INEM is a Liasian A to ISO/TC 207 and serves on the EMAS Article 14 Committee which is responsible for overseeing and revising the regulation.

At the European level we have EMAS, (Eco-Management and Audit Scheme). This was introduced by a European Union council regulation (No.1836/93), requiring implementation in all Member States. Although the scheme itself is mandatory in all EU Countries it is, at present, a voluntary scheme for individual companies who must be within the industrial sector. It is intended to provide recognition for those companies who have established a programme of environmental action designed to protect, and to continuously improve, their environmental performance. 

The UK has had its own EMS Standard, BS 7750, since 1992 and a numbers of companies, within and without the UK, achieved Registration to it.