EMAS and ISO 14001: A Comparison

Environmental Policy and Law

Volumn 31, Issue 4-5, 2001, Pages 237-249

  Oluoch Wauna, Lucas O ^a  

^a UNIVERSITY OF BREMEN   (Germany)

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EID: 33645430759     PISSN: 0378777X     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: None     Document Type: Article

References (87)

1. (1993) O.J. L168/1.
2. For more information on ISO, visit its home page at www.iso.ch.
3. See Rehbinder, Eckard, "Self-Regulation by Industry", in Winter, Gerd (ed), European Environmental Law: A Comparative Perspective. Dortmouth Publishing Co. Ltd. (1995), at p. 239, for an overview of different types of "self-regulation" instruments.
4. EMAS is a regulation and has the force of law within the European Community. On the other hand, the standard is only a set of guidelines with no legal sanctions.
5. See Bándi, Gyula, "Financial Instruments in Environmental Protection", in Winter, Gerd (ed), European Environmental Law: A Comparative Perspective. Dortmouth Publishing Co. Ltd. (1995) 201 at p. 239.
6. See Glasbergen, Pieter, " From Regulatory Control to Network Management" in Winter, Gerd (ed), European Environmental Law: A Comparative Perspective. Dortmouth Publishing Co. Ltd. (1995) 185, p. 190.
7. As per Bàndi, supra, note 5 at p. 203.
8. See Rehbinder, supra, note 3 at p. 240.
9. Murray, C. Paula, "Inching Toward Environmental Regulatory Reform-ISO 14000: Much ado about nothing or a reinvention tool?", American Business Law Journal Vol. 37, Issue no. 1, 35.
10. For instance, in most of the developed European countries, the agricultural sector operates as a closed organisation, usually supported by a powerful political lobby, and maintains close contacts with the respective ministries of agriculture. Time and again, they are able to resist meaningful environmental policy. See Glasbergen, supra, note 6 at p. 186.
11. Ibid at p. 192.
12. Supra, note 8.
13. Ibid, p. 241.
14. Ibid, p. 242.
15. As per Article 1(1) of EMAS.
16. Ibid, Article 14 which is also in accordance with Art. 176 (ex Art. 130t) of the EC Treaty which permits Member States to maintain or introduce more stringent measures in protection of the environment, so long as they are compatible with the Treaty (and provisions arising therefrom).
17. See Sellner, Dieter/Jörn, Schnutenhaus, "Umweltmanagement und Umweltbetriebsprüfung ("Umwelt Audit")-ein wirksames, nicht ordnungsrechtliches System des betrieblichen Umweltschutzes?", NVwZ 1993, Heft 10, 928. This paper was published before the adoption of EMAS by the Council, however the views obtain to the adopted EMAS which had no material changes.
18. Supra, note 15, Article 3(a).
19. Ibid, Article 3(b) read together with Article 2(b) and Annex 1C.
20. Ibid, Article 3(c) read together with Article 2(c) and Annex 1A.5.
21. See Ibid, Article 3(c) and Article 2(e) and further the requirements to be fulfilled by such an environmental management system in Annex IB.
22. See Ibid, Article 2(f) for a definition and aims of an environmental audit under EMAS.
23. As per Article 4(1), ibid.
24. Ibid, Article 4(2) as read together with Annex II, H.
25. Ibid, Articles 5(1) & (2).
26. Sellner/Schnutenhaus, supra, note 17 at p. 930.
27. The Article provides that external auditors and accredited environmental verifiers shall not divulge, without authorisation from the company, any information or data obtained in the course of their auditing or verification activities.
28. EMAS, Articles 3(g) and 4(3).
29. See ibid, Article 4(4) and Annex III B.
30. See ibid, Annex III B 2 &3.
31. Ibid, Article 4(6) thereof.
32. Ibid, Annex III B. 4a.
33. Ibid, Annex III B. 4b.
34. Ibid, Annex III B. 4c.
35. Ibid, Article 8(1).
36. Ibid, Article 8(3).
37. Ibid, Article 9.
38. See Sellner/Schnutenhaus, op. cit. note 17 at p. 931.
39. EMAS, Article 3(h).
40. Directive 90/313 on the freedom of access to information on the environment, O.J L 158, 56.
41. Sellner/Schnutenhaus, op. cit. note 17, pp. 931-2.
42. The Standard, 1st Ed. para. 3.12
43. Ibid, Introduction thereto.
44. Environmental Health and Safety Online: http://www.ehso.com/EHSservices/ iso14detl.htl.
45. The Standard, para. 1.
46. Ibid, para. 4.2.
47. Ibid, para. 4.4.4-5.
48. Ibid, para. 4.4.1.
49. Ibid, para. 4.4.2.
50. Ibid, para. 4.5.4.
51. Ibid, para. 4.5.1-2.
52. Ibid, para. 4.6.
53. Ibid, Annex A.1.
54. Ibid, Annex A.3.1.
55. Ibid, Annex A.3.3.
56. Ibid, Annex A.5.4.
57. Ibid, Annex A.6.
58. Dec. 97/265 (1997) O.J L104/37.
59. EMAS, Art. 12.
60. Krämer, Ludwig, EC Environmental Law, 4th Ed. Sweet & Maxwell, London (2000) p. 119.
61. There are three categories of membership of the ISO. The first comprises member bodies which are national bodies most representative of standardisation in their respective countries. A member body is entitled to participate and exercise full voting rights on any technical and policy committee of ISO. The second is made up of correspondent members usually from countries with no fully developed national standard activity. A correspondent member does not take part actively in the technical and policy development work of ISO but is entitled to be informed of the work of interest to it. Subscriber members make up the third category, usually for countries with very small economies: Visit ISO's Website: www.iso.ch.
62. See ISO's Website, ibid.
63. Ibid.
64. See Murray, C. Paulane, supra, note 9.
65. See the Standard, Introduction.
66. As per Arriaza, Naomi R., "Environmental Management Systems and Environmental Protection: Can ISO 14001 Be Useful within the Context of APEC?", 6 Journal of Environment and Development, 292 at p. 295-6 quoted by Murray, op. cit. note 64.
67. Murray, supra, note 64.
68. See the preamble to EMAS, op. cit. note 1.
69. The European Court of Justice in the case of Flaminio Costa v. ENEL, (1964) ECR 585 at p. 593.
70. Krämer, Ludwig, EC Environmental Law, 3rd Ed. Sweet & Maxwell, London (1998), p. 83.
71. See Krämer, ibid and Jans, Jan, "The Competence for EC Environmental Law", in Winter Gerd (ed), European Environmental Law: A Comparative Perspective. Dortmouth Publishing Co. Ltd. (1995), 317 at p. 321.
72. For a discussion of the decision-making procedures at the Community level in environmental matters, see Krämer, supra, note 70 at p. 83.
73. The Council is usually composed depending on the subject matter to be dealt with. For instance, financial matters are handled by Ministers of Finance from Member States, health matters are dealt with by a Council comprising Health Ministers and so on. There is also the General Council composed of Foreign Affairs Ministers that deals with issues of foreign relations as well as all other general matters of the Council.
74. EMAS, Art. 3(c).
75. Sellner/Schnutenhaus, op. cit., note 17, p. 932.
76. The Standard, para. 4.2(f).
77. Ibid, para. 4.4.3(b).
78. Ibid, Annex A.4.3.
79. See Articles 3(g) & (f) and Article 4(3) & (4) of EMAS.
80. The Standard, para. 4.3.2.
81. EMAS, Art. 3(a).
82. See Antes, Ralf/Clausen, Jens/Fichter; Klaus, "Die guten Managementpraktiken in der EU-Audit-Verordnung", Der Betrieb, 48, 2 (1995), 685.
83. See the Standard, Introduction.
84. See Anonymous, "ISO 14000 Q & A", Power Engineering, Barrington, 102(1) (1998), 30.
85. See Murray, op. cit. note 64, identifies the confidentiality problem as a major stumbling block to the participation of American companies in the system.
86. Supra, note 18.
87. Schumacher, Jochen, “Die Umwelt-Audit-Verordnung” in Beck, Michael (Hrsg), Betriebliches Umwelt Audit in der Praxis, Vogel Buchverlag, Würzburg (1996), 237 at p. 241.