Administrative services A-Z

• Forms: EMAS registration form provided by your registration body
• Online procedures available: No
• Written form requirement as per German Civil Code Art.126: Yes
• You are not required to appear in person.

EMAS (Eco-Management and Audit Scheme) is a European Community scheme for environmental management and environmental audits. This tool helps organisations improve their environmental performance. The introduction of EMAS is not required by law.

EMAS begins with an inventory known as an environmental review; this is followed by the establishment of an environmental management system (with workflows, organisation and responsibilities) with documentation and continues through to preparation of an environmental report.

This concludes with a review by an accredited environmental verifier who reviews the established scheme and the information contained in the environmental report.

If this review is favourable, the company or organisation is registered by the competent Chamber of Commerce and Industry or Chamber of Skilled Crafts. Once entered in the EMAS Register, your organisation may display the EMAS logo.

Registration is valid for three years, and for small organisations for four years. It must then be extended. To retain its registration, your organisation must submit an updated environmental report each year.

• Performance of an environmental review by the organisation
• Establishment of an environmental management system
• Publication of an environmental report
• Review of management system and environmental report by an accredited verifier

- The environmental report declared valid by an approved environmental verifier

Based on:

• the cost rates of the environmental verifier and
• the fee rates of the competent chambers responsible for registration in the EMAS Register

Entry to the EMAS Register is the final step towards the introduction of EMAS in your organisation:

• First, your organisation must carry out an environmental review. This is used to determine the impact your organisation has on the environment. Your organisation must submit an environmental report as a result of the environmental review.
• Independent environmental verifiers approved by the relevant German accreditation and licensing body, Deutsche Akkreditierungs- und Zulassungsgesellschaft für Umweltgutachter mbH (DAU), examine the environmental report as well as implementation of the EMAS requirements within the organisation.
• Following validation, you must apply to the chamber responsible for your organisation (Chamber of Commerce and Industry /Chamber of Skilled Crafts) for registration in the EMAS Register.
• The chamber reviews your documents. It notifies the lower environmental protection authority of the planned registration. The authority then has four weeks in which to comment on the registration.
• If there is no negative feedback from the lower environmental protection authority, the chamber assigns a registration number to your organisation.
• Following registration, you are entitled to use the EMAS logo for the duration of the registration. The registration will remain valid for three years or, in the case of small organisations, for four years.
• To maintain this status, you must submit an updated environmental report to the registration body each year.

Entry to the EMAS Register is valid for three years; for small organisations, it is valid for up to four years.

• You can find the EMAS registration bodies responsible for your region in the directory of EMAS registration bodies

• § Section 33 of the Environmental Audit Act (UAG)
• Articles 3 to 7 of Regulation (EC) No 1221/2009

General information on EMAS can be found on the EMAS info page

Information on the registration process can be found on the EMAS Register page

Deutscher Industrie- und Handelskammertag