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Eco-management and audit scheme
 A community eco-management and audit
scheme (EMAS) has been established and implemented as a tool for
environmental management, which improves and enhances environmental
protection, sound use of natural resources and public information in the
companies and organisations, which voluntary participate in
EMAS.
In accordance with Council
Regulation (EEC) No 1836/93, the eco-management and audit scheme operated
in the EU Member States since 1995. Initially industrial companies only
participated in the scheme. However, after adoption of Regulation (EC) No
761/2001 allowing voluntary participation by organizations in a Community
eco-management and audit scheme (EMAS) in 2001, the scheme is open to the
participation of any organisation. Any company, business entity,
institution and municipality may get involved after the completion of
necessary preparations. Companies and organisations registered under EMAS
may use the EMAS logo.
Registration and competent
authority
National competent bodies shall register organisations
under the EMAS. Latvian Law on Environmental Protection designates the
State Environmental Bureau as a competent body. In accordance with
Regulation (EC) No 761/2001, the State Environmental Bureau will evaluate,
whether the applicant complies with the requirements of this Regulation,
will register relevant organisations under EMAS and will decide on
suspension or deletion of the registration of organisations. The Bureau
will also establish the register of EMAS organisations.
Basic
requirements
According to Regulation (EC) No 761/2001, the
organisation shall conduct an environmental review, develop environmental
policy, shall establish and implement an environmental management system
and an internal auditing system, as well as prepare an environmental
statement, which shall report both about implemented and planned
activities. All the employees shall be involved in the abovementioned
activities and shall receive appropriate training. EMAS organisations
shall be examined by an independent, accredited environmental verifier,
which also validates the environmental statement. The environmental
statement shall be regularly updated and readily available to the general
public and stakeholders.
Accreditation of environmental
verifiers
According to the Law on Environmental Protection, Latvian
National Accreditation Bureau (LATAK) is responsible for the accreditation
of environmental verifiers, for the supervision of their activities and
for the establishment of the register of environmental verifiers. Any
individual or legal entity may become an environmental verifier if it has
relevant environmental qualifications and knowledge of EMAS, confirmed by
an accreditation certificate. The environmental verifier shall be an
independent person or entity and may not have any relation to the
organisation to be verified.
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