Date post: | 03-Jan-2016 |
Category: |
Documents |
Upload: | colin-atkins |
View: | 216 times |
Download: | 0 times |
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
27.05.2013Com Milieuverificateurs 3
Conformity assessment
27.05.2013Com Milieuverificateurs 4
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)
27.05.2013Com Milieuverificateurs 5
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.
27.05.2013Com Milieuverificateurs 6
27.05.2013Com Milieuverificateurs 7
GovernmentCompetent authority
GovernmentCompetent authority
EMASRequirements
EMASRequirements
PolicymakingPolicy
making
RegulatorRegulator
Third partyconformity assessment
Third partyconformity assessment
EMASVerifierEMASVerifier
BELAC(NAB)
BELAC(NAB)
Economical operatorsEconomical operators
EMASRegistered site
EMASRegistered site
Consumer, Customer …Consumer, Customer …
27.05.2013Com Milieuverificateurs 8
GovernmentCompetent authority
GovernmentCompetent authority
EMASRequirements
EMASRequirements
PolicymakingPolicy
making
RegulatorRegulator
Third partyconformity assessment
Third partyconformity assessment
EMASVerifierEMASVerifier
BELAC(NAB)BELAC(NAB)
Economical operatorsEconomical operators
EMASRegistered site
EMASRegistered site
Consumer, Customer …Consumer, Customer …
•Macro-scale environmental impact analysis and modeling• Policy making, regulatory settings • Building public awareness • Promote preferred behavior• …
• Technical standardization• …
27.05.2013Com Milieuverificateurs 9
GovernmentCompetent authority
GovernmentCompetent authority
EMASRequirements
EMASRequirements
PolicymakingPolicy
making
RegulatorRegulator
Third partyconformity assessment
Third partyconformity assessment
EMASVerifierEMASVerifier
BELAC(NAB)
BELAC(NAB)
Economical operatorsEconomical operators
EMASRegistered site
EMASRegistered site
Consumer, Customer …Consumer,
Customer …
• Compliance auditing• Compliance risk identification•Management system evaluation• Continuous improvement
challenging• …
27.05.2013Com Milieuverificateurs 10
GovernmentCompetent authority
GovernmentCompetent authority
PolicymakingPolicy
making
RegulatorRegulator
Third partyconformity assessment
Third partyconformity assessment
EMASVerifierEMAS
Verifier
BELAC(NAB)BELAC(NAB)
Economical operatorsEconomical operators
EMASRegistered site
EMASRegistered site
Consumer, Customer …Consumer, Customer …
EMASRequirements
EMASRequirements
• Operational excellence• Environmental control• Risk management• Technical innovation• Stakeholders dialogue• Personnel relations• …
• Smart buyer• Environmental Awareness• …
27.05.2013Com Milieuverificateurs 11
GovernmentCompetent authority
GovernmentCompetent authority
EMASRequirements
EMASRequirements
PolicymakingPolicy
making
RegulatorRegulator
Third partyconformity assessment
Third partyconformity assessment
EMASVerifierEMASVerifier
BELAC(NAB)
BELAC(NAB)
Economical operatorsEconomical operators
EMASRegistered site
EMASRegistered site
Consumer, Customer …Consumer, Customer …
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
27.05.2013Com Milieuverificateurs 13
• 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
27.05.2013Com Milieuverificateurs 14
• 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 !
EMASVerifierEMASVerifier
BELAC(NAB)
BELAC(NAB)
EMASRegistered site
EMASRegistered site
27.05.2013Com Milieuverificateurs 15
• 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 :