4.3. Environmental issues in SME management, design and production of goods
4.3.1. EMAS – Eco-Management and Audit Scheme
4.3.2. Eco-label schemes for industrial products
4.3.3. Eco-designs for energy-using products
4.3. ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES IN SME MANAGEMENT, DESIGN AND PRODUCTION OF GOODS
‘What is the importance of EMAS for SMEs?’
‘How can a company get the right to use the eco-label logo for its products?’
‘For which product groups are already eco-label criteria available?’
‘Will there be soon Europe wide criteria for the awarding of eco-designs to environmental friendly products?’
4.3.1. EMAS – Eco-Management and Audit Scheme
The Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) is the EU voluntary scheme for organisations willing to commit themselves to evaluate, improve and report on their environmental performances. The Commission has developed an EMAS SME toolkit to provide SMEs with an easy step-by-step explanation to reach registration with the EU Eco-Management and Audit Scheme.
Information source: European Commission - DG Environment |
4.3.2. ECO-LABEL schemes for industrial products
The EU awards a Community eco-label to products and services with a reduced environmental
impact. Can our company put an eco-label on its products? What are the conditions? An answer can be found at following web page.
Information source: European Commission - DG Environment Website : http://ec.europa.eu/environment/ecolabel/index_en.htm |
How to use this website?
to find info, choose one of the items.
Step 1: Select ‘Product groups’ and a specific product group, e.g. ‘cleaning products – all purpose cleaners’ if you want to see the list with eco-label criteria for this group.
Step 2: Select the Eco-label catalogue in order to find a list with companies and their products which received already the European eco-label.
Eco-labels can be obtained for:
Brochures for producers, available for 22 product groups and services, highlight the advantages to both the producer and the environment of products having the eco-label award and the ecological and performance criteria which must be met.
Step 3: Select ‘Contact & Links”, followed by “Competent Bodies” or “Candidate and non-EU countries’, if you want to see a list with names and addresses of Competent Bodies.
The following website deals specifically with The European Eco-label for tourist accommodation service & camp site services:
http://www.ecolabel-tourism.eu/
4.3.3. ECO DESIGNS for energy-using products
The European Commission is promoting EcoDesign of Energy-Using products (EuP)
Information source: European Commission - DG Environment |
