EMAS V ERIFICATION AND V ALIDATION Impressions from an Accreditation Body M ARC WOUTERS BELAC EMAS S TAKEHOLDERS D IALOGUE B RUSSELS 04.10.2013 The views

EMAS VERIFICATION AND VALIDATIONImpressions from an Accreditation Body

EMAS VERIFICATION AND VALIDATIONImpressions from an Accreditation Body

MARC WOUTERSBELAC

EMAS STAKEHOLDERS DIALOGUEBRUSSELS

04.10.2013

The views presented by the speaker are his own and do not necessarily represent the views of BELAC

Which feeling or sensation ?For an employee of the organization ?

An commitment towards environmental awareness and sustainable way of doing business

27.05.2013Com Milieuverificateurs 2

For a member of general public or a customer?

The organizations bearing the EMAS logo, promise to :• Comply to all applicable environmental legislation;• Identify and control all environmental aspects;• Improve its environmental performance; and • Assume environmental and economic responsibility.

How much confidence can we have in this promise ?

The EMAS logo is a formal promise

The role of verification and validation in building confidence and

the role of BELAC


Conformity assessment


Early 1990’s : The EC adopts the “New approach” to promote the free movement of goods and services as the cornerstone of the single European market. •Prevent new barriers to trade (e.g. national legislation on product requirements, national technical standards …)•Establish harmonized technical requirements (EU Regulations, European standards …)•Establish mutual recognition: what is found conform in one member state is accepted as conform in another member state.

Regulation (EC) 765/2008 on accreditation and market surveillance establishes a European framework for conformity assessment.

Conformity assessment (cont’d)


Conformity assessment is the process for demonstrating that a product, a process, a service, a management system meets specified requirements.

Third party conformity assessment versus self-declared conformity !Essential requirements for a third party conformity assessment body (CAB):

•Impartial (unbiased decisions, free of influences …)

•Competent (able to detect risks for non-compliance and to detect system inconsistency …)

•Reliable (governed by a well functioning and stable process, informed decision making …)

BELAC , as the Belgian national accreditation body, monitors and attests the impartiality, competence and the reliability of conformity assessment bodies in Belgium.

Third party conformity assessment provides the means for establishing confidence in compliance with expectations.

Conformity assessment and EMAS :

Different roles, calling on different competences, expertise and attitudes.



GovernmentCompetent authority


EMASRequirements

EMASRequirements

PolicymakingPolicy

making

RegulatorRegulator

Third partyconformity assessment


EMASVerifierEMASVerifier

BELAC(NAB)

BELAC(NAB)

Economical operatorsEconomical operators

EMASRegistered site

EMASRegistered site

Consumer, Customer …Consumer, Customer …




EMASRequirements

EMASRequirements

PolicymakingPolicy

making

RegulatorRegulator




BELAC(NAB)BELAC(NAB)


EMASRegistered site

EMASRegistered site


•Macro-scale environmental impact analysis and modeling• Policy making, regulatory settings • Building public awareness • Promote preferred behavior• …

• Technical standardization• …




EMASRequirements

EMASRequirements

PolicymakingPolicy

making

RegulatorRegulator




BELAC(NAB)

BELAC(NAB)


EMASRegistered site

EMASRegistered site

Consumer, Customer …Consumer,

Customer …

• Compliance auditing• Compliance risk identification•Management system evaluation• Continuous improvement

challenging• …




PolicymakingPolicy

making

RegulatorRegulator



EMASVerifierEMAS

Verifier

BELAC(NAB)BELAC(NAB)


EMASRegistered site

EMASRegistered site


EMASRequirements

EMASRequirements

• Operational excellence• Environmental control• Risk management• Technical innovation• Stakeholders dialogue• Personnel relations• …

• Smart buyer• Environmental Awareness• …




EMASRequirements

EMASRequirements

PolicymakingPolicy

making

RegulatorRegulator




BELAC(NAB)

BELAC(NAB)


EMASRegistered site

EMASRegistered site


Third party verification and validation provides the means for establishing confidence and credibility

Third party verification and validation provides the means for establishing confidence and credibility

The tasks of the EMAS verifier are clarified in § 2.4.2 of the EMAS users’ guide

The tasks of the EMAS verifier are clarified in § 2.4.2 of the EMAS users’ guide

EMAS

Confidence and credibility



• Public image of the company/organization• Public tolerance and acceptance• Competitive advantage in green

procurement• Improved cooperation with authorities• Employee participation and satisfaction• …

Benefits of EMAS credibility

• Incomplete scope of environmental management system (not all relevant environmental aspects or not all relevant sites are part of the controlled process )

• Incomplete, unclear, ambiguous, misleading environmental reporting

• Lack of transparency to public and personnel• Budget pressure• Inadequate and inconclusive verification and validation

Threats to EMAS credibility


• Public image of the company/organization• Public tolerance and acceptance• Competitive advantage in green

procurement• Improved cooperation with authorities• Employee participation and satisfaction• …

Benefits of EMAS credibility

• Incomplete scope of environmental management system (not all relevant environmental aspects or not all relevant sites are part of the controlled process )

• Incomplete, unclear, ambiguous, misleading environmental reporting

• Lack of transparency to public and personnel• Budget pressure• Inadequate and inconclusive verification and validation

Threats to EMAS credibility

BELAC wants to keep the pressure on an appropriate, justified and economically feasible level !


BELAC(NAB)

BELAC(NAB)

EMASRegistered site

EMASRegistered site


• Watch over proper allocation of time and effort to verification and validation activities;• Defend a strict and conservative interpretation of terms like:– ‘Environmental aspect’ as an element of an organization’s activities that has or can have an

impact on the environment;– ‘Site’ : a distinct geographic location under the management control of an organization

covering activities, products and services, including all infrastructure, equipment and materials; a site is the smallest entity to be considered for registration;

– ‘Employee involvement’ as a driving force and a prerequisite for continuous and successful environmental improvements

For that reason, BELAC will continue to :


We all have a distinct role and part of responsibility in ensuring that the EMAS logo deliver on its promises !

Thank you

Documents

EMAS V ERIFICATION AND V ALIDATION Impressions from an Accreditation Body M ARC WOUTERS BELAC EMAS S TAKEHOLDERS D IALOGUE B RUSSELS 04.10.2013 The views