STANDARDISATION AND SMEs

By Arie De Graaf

The challenge of stakeholder involvement in order to integrate environmental aspect into European Standardisation, Brussels, 2 December 2005.

• financial auditor• environmental auditor• forensic auditor• assessor quality management systems• working in Small Enterprises

How do we see Standardisation and SMEs?

• There is a growing understanding for that on European level: CEN, CENELEC, ETSI.

• ISO will grow in importance• ISO and NORMAPME

• management standards ISO 9000, ISO 14001, health hygiene etc,• upcoming management standards on tourism, Corporate Social Responbility

• NORMAPMEs approach to ISO• a direct dialogue was started on top level between ISO and UEAPME/NORMPAME

to explain the needs of SMEs

• Visit of among others Freek Posthumus (environmental director of NORMAPME) to secretary general Alan Bryden in Geneva (15 November 2005)

• the theme of World Standard day 2006 will be SMEs and NORMAPME we give a presentation on NORMAPMEs activities

• guides are one way to increase use of standards in SMEs, coaching and information is the other one

• Questions?• how to make standards? • how to involve SMEs ?

• Problems• in general small enterprises are not interested in establishing,

implementing and maintaining of any environmental management system

• in the ´average 6 people SMEs` in Europe it is not possible

• Solution• The solution is in tailored application guides• use of ISO 14001 is only for large enterprises• the present ISO guide project is only for medium(>100 person)

enterprises• need to make micro-guides for the small enterprises

• Micro guide• checklist rather than a long story• selected info: only that part which is relevant to the SME activity • usable in the ´average 6 people sme` minimum paperwork

• Contents and use• secures good principles of environment management • approach either by simplified procedure or by step-by-step

approach, whatever suits the needs • allows self-certification ISO 14000 or at least meets the regulations

so that it reduces inspection costs for the SME • in general: cost in relation to the size and the needs of the SME

• Approach• sector and local language • made in the business jargon of the SME• explained and coached in use by local support

organization • Conclusion

• the Environment Committee of UEAPME decided to prepare a project proposal for sectoral guides for environmental management systems for the small enterprises up to 30 employees

• we help ISO with the medium guide but please listen to us for that

To achieve the development of sectoral guides for environmental management systems for the small enterprises it is necessary and desirable that NORMAPME is enabled to do this work