Directory UMM :Data Elmu:jurnal:E:Environmental Management and Health:Vol09.Issue3.1998:

The European Union EIAS, EMAS and audits

Roger H. Charlier
Hae c o n Ltd, Brusse ls, Be lgium

Although EU directives were
issued quite some time ago,
implementation progresses
slowly and at an unequal pace
in Union member states.
Certifi cation of assessors,
auditors and verifi ers differs
widely and is sometimes
inordinately complicated; in
some instances accountants
have stepped into the “ vacuum” , in others “ certifi cation” documents are issued
by private organizations.
Uniformity is far from being
the rule. This paper takes
Belgium as a case study. In
opposition to what has developed in the USA where federal

authority can be completed,
even toughened by US regulations, but remained national
(viz. federal), in our example
responsibility has nearly
entirely been devolved to the
next (regional) level of authority. A survey was conducted of
EMAS implementation in 11
European States :its results
are disclosed and commented
on.

Enviro nme ntal Manage me nt
and He alth
9 / 3 [ 1998] 1 0 6 –1 2 3
© MCB Unive rsity Pre ss
[ ISSN 0956-6163]

[ 106 ]

Introduction

Overview
Th is pa per gives th e ba ck gr ou n d for th e
developm en t of en vir on m en ta l le gisla tion ,
th e con n ection between E u r opea n Un ion (E U)
a n d Belgia n le gisla tion , a n d a descr iption of
its va r iou s elem en ts th er ein .
Background
Th e en vir on m en t h a s gr a du a lly becom e m or e
a n d m or e im por ta n t for ou r fu tu r e developm en t. Politica lly th e en vir on m en ta l dim en sion w a s in clu ded in th e E U in 1972 a bou t th e
tim e Min istr ies of E n vir on m en t, dea lin g w ith
pollu tion pr oblem s, wer e cr ea ted in E u r ope.
Th e E u r opea n com m u n ity pla n n ed fiveyea r pr ogr a m s of wh ich th e pr esen t on e, th e
fifth , is ba sed on th e 7 Febr u a r y 1992 tr ea ty of
wh ich th e pr in cipa l object is th e pr om otion of
su sta in a ble gr ow th .
European legislation
Th e cou n cil’s r esolu tion of Febr u a r y 1993
(93/ C 138/ 01) pr om otes a n en vir on m en t a n d
su sta in a ble developm en t com m u n ity pr ogr a m on policy a n d a ction .
Th e pr ogr a m espou ses th e UN con fer en ce

on en vir on m en t a n d developm en t a ppr oved
pr in ciples (Rio de J a n eir o, 3-14 J u n e 1992).
It a dopts th e defi n ition of su sta in a ble developm en t, of th e R epor t of th e World Com m ission on En viron m en t a n d Dev elopm en t
(Br u n dtla n d), wh ich m eets pr esen t n eeds
w ith ou t com pr om isin g th e a bility of fu tu r e
gen er a tion s to m eet th eir ow n n eeds. Th e
pr ogr a m a ddr esses: clim a te ch a n ge, a ir pollu tion , depletion of n a tu r a l r esou r ces a n d biodiver sity, depletion a n d pollu tion of w a ter
r esou r ces, deter ior a tion of th e u r ba n en vir on m en t, deter ior a tion of coa sta l zon es a n d th e
pr oblem s of w a stes.
Mor e th a n 200 dir ectives on en vir on m en ta l
pr otection h ave been pa ssed to th is day, 80
m a in dir ectives a n d 120 a m en dm en ts, cover in g gr ou n dw a ter, su r fa ce w a ter, sew a ge, a ir
em ission s, n oise, w a ste, ch em ica ls, m a jor
a cciden t h a za r ds a n d oth er a r ea s.
E U Cou n cil Re gu la tion 1836/ 93 of specia l
in ter est for en vir on m en ta l m a n a gem en t,
a llow s volu n ta r y pa r ticipa tion of in du str ia l
com pa n ies in a com m u n ity u n der ta k in g.

Damage to the environment

Con sider a ble a ctivity h a s ta k en pla ce
r ecen tly w ith in th e E U, in en vir on m en ta l
m a tter s, w ith a n eye k ept on n on -m em ber s’
a ction s, su ch a s, for in sta n ce, m oves in
Sw itzer la n d. Th e im por ta n ce of E u r opea n
r e gu la tion s, policies a n d decision s w a s fu r th er en h a n ced wh en Au str ia , Sweden a n d
F in la n d join ed th e “clu b”, wh ile m or e cou n tr ies a r e cla m ou r in g to join (Czech Repu blic,
Pola n d).
E MAS is m a k in g for w a r d str ides, a lth ou gh
n ot w ith ou t opposition . Str on g gr ou ps, e.g.
th e E F CA, expr essed dissa tisfa ction w ith th e
E U sta n d on en vir on m en ta l im pa ct a ssessm en t for w a ste disposa l fa cilities, lon g-ter m
a spects h avin g, in its view, been n e glected.
F u r th er m or e, sever a l E U m em ber sta tes a r e
n ot pr epa r ed to en for ce a m or e th or ou gh
a ppr oa ch . Th e 1994 E U docu m en t per ta in in g
to th e clea n -u p of con ta m in a ted sites th a t
in clu des a defin ition of wh a t is a “con ta m in a ted site” is th u s fa r a con ten tiou s m a tter
a n d th e issu e of m on itor in g system s for th e
life cycle of con ta m in a ted layer s h a s been

“in com pletely exa m in ed” to su it va r iou s
gr ou ps.
An em a n a tion of E U Cou n cil Re gu la tion
N o. 11836/ 1993, CE MAS (E coMa n a gem en t a n d
Au dit Sch em e), a volu n ta r y pa r ticipa tion
sch em e for in du str ia l sector com pa n ies, h a s
k n ow n u n equ a l im plem en ta tion in th e differ en t E U sta tes a n d is on ly in oper a tion in pa r t
th ou gh th e dea dlin e of 18 Apr il 1995 is pa st
a n d gon e. Th e sa m e is tr u e for th e 13 J u ly 1994
dea dlin e of “settin g-u p bodies for r e gistr a tion
of fir m s a n d a ccr edita tion of ver ifier s” w ith in
th e in dividu a l cou n tr ies. Illu str a tin g th is
poin t in Ger m a n y, for in sta n ce, specifi ca tion
of r equ ir em en ts for ver ifier s a r e n ot spelled
ou t, two con cepts exist for th eir a ccr edita tion
(eith er a body u n der th e IGA – E xecu tive
Associa tion for Accr edita tion – or DVUPA –
Ger m a n Un ion for In spection of E n vir on m en ta l Oper a tion a n d Accr edita tion ), a n d DVUPA
a n d/ or a n a ffilia ted or ga n iza tion wou ld be
th e n a tion a l eco-a u dit in str u m en ta lity. In

Gr eece a n d Spa in a ll th ese a spects a r e bein g
discu ssed w ith n o solid pla n (s) in sigh t. Ita ly
h a s pa ssed Law N o. 70/ 94 stipu la tin g th a t
cer tifyin g or ga n iza tion s a r e to a ct a s a n d to

Ro ge r H. Charlie r
The Euro pe an Unio n EIAS,
EMAS and audits
Enviro nme ntal Manage me nt
and He alth
9 / 3 [1 9 9 8 ] 1 0 6 –1 2 3

a ccr edit ver ifi er s, wh ile w ith in th e fr a m ewor k of th a t law discu ssion s a r e con du cted to
decide wh a t n a tion a l eco-a u dit or ga n iza tion
w ill be design a ted or set u p.
Th e N eth er la n ds, r epu ted to be on e of th e
m ost a dva n ced in th is type of le gisla tion ,
pr ovided gu idelin es u n der th e Cou n cil of
Cer tifica tion to esta blish ver ifi er s’ specifica tion r equ ir em en ts, cr ea ted a cer tifica tion
body u n der th e sa m e cou n cil a n d pla ced

n a tion a l eco-a u ditin g w ith in th e Min istr y of
E n vir on m en t’s com peten ce.
Alth ou gh a volu n ta r y in itia tive w ith section s on per iodic in ter n a l a n d exter n a l en vir on m en ta l r epor tin g, th e Du tch Gover n m en t
did in fer th a t w ith ou t su fficien t pr ogr ess, viz.
pa r ticipa tion , le gisla tion wou ld be
in tr odu ced, m a k in g th e system m a n da tor y.
Oth er E u r opea n Com m u n ity sta tes do
r equ ir e a m ea su r e of en vir on m en ta l r epor tin g, bu t n ot a u ditin g a s su ch . In F r a n ce, for
exa m ple, th e Ser vice de l’E n vir on n em en t
u n der ta k es r epor ts on m a jor em itter s of 13
a ir a n d 23 w a ter pollu ta n ts in th e for m of
pollu tion m a ps for pa r ticu la r pla n ts. N or w ay
a n d Sweden r equ ir e a m ea su r e of en vir on m en ta l a u ditin g; in Sweden a ppr oxim a tely
6,000 in du str ia l or ga n iza tion s pr odu ce in ter n a l a n n u a l en vir on m en ta l r epor ts. However,
th ese r epor ts a r e n ot su bject to th ir d pa r ties’
ver ifica tion .
CE MAS is to en cou r a ge com pa n ies to eva lu a te a n d im pr ove th eir envir on m en ta l per for m a n ce con tin u a lly. Alth ou gh dir ectly a pplica ble in a ll m em ber sta tes, com pa n ies m ay
ch oose wh eth er or n ot to pa r ticipa te in th e
sch em e a n d in deed wh eth er to r e gister a ll or
on ly som e of th eir sites. Sch em e pa r ticipa n ts

w ill be r equ ir ed to ca r r y ou t en vir on m en ta l
a u dits a t th e sites con cer n ed. Th is wou ld be
th e ba sis of a n en vir on m en ta l pr otection
system pr ogr a m m e. Th e system wou ld h ave
to be r eviewed per iodica lly to en su r e th a t th e
best ava ila ble tech n ologies (BAT) wer e bein g
u sed.
Un der th e system th e follow in g issu es
wou ld be con sider ed:
• en er gy policy ;
• w a ste a n d w a ter m a n a gem en t;
• pr odu ct pla n n in g;
• sa fety;
• sta ff tr a in in g a n d in volvem en t in en vir on m en ta l issu es;
• in for m a tion to be m a de pu blic;
• com pla in ts h a n dlin g.
An en vir on m en ta l a u dit wou ld h ave to be
ca r r ied ou t a t lea st ever y th r ee yea r s by
som eon e n ot dir ectly in volved a n d a w r itten
r epor t be ava ila ble to th e pu blic. Au dit fin din gs wou ld r equ ir e exa m in a tion a t th e h igh est m a n a gem en t level a n d u ltim a tely a n

en vir on m en ta l sta tem en t pr epa r ed for ea ch
site con cer n ed, su bject to ver ifica tion by
a ccr edited en vir on m en ta l ver ifier s to en su r e
com plia n ce w ith a ll a spects of th e r e gu la tion .
Th e ver ifi er a n d th e a u ditor sh ou ld be in depen den t of ea ch oth er.
P a r ticipa n ts sa tisfyin g th e r equ ir em en ts of
th e CE MAS sch em e w ill be en titled to u se a
logo on th eir letter h ea d, br och u r es, a n d
fin a n cia l sta tem en ts a s well a s in a dver tisem en ts, bu t w ith ou t r efer en ce to specific pr odu cts. Logo u se in r ela tion to sites wh ich fa il to
com ply w ith E u r opea n Com m u n ity a n d
n a tion a l en vir on m en ta l r e gu la tion s is pr oh ibited. CE MAS a lso m a k es pr ovision for
com pa n ies a ccr edited u n der sim ila r n a tion a l
sch em es r ecogn ised by th e E U u n der th e
r e gu la tion . Th e ph ilosoph y in ter m s of
sch em e pr om otion is to str ess th a t th e a dva n ta ges ga in ed by pa r ticipa tin g com pa n ies w ill
n ot on ly be th e im plem en tin g of good en vir on m en ta l m a n a gem en t, bu t a lso th e com pa n y’s over a ll cr edibility r ela tive to its en vir on m en ta l effor ts w ill be gr ea tly en h a n ced in
th e eyes of r e gu la tor s, policy m a k er s a n d th e
com m u n ity.
Belgiu m is on e of sever a l E U cou n tr ies

wh er e, a t th e en d of Decem ber 1995, in du str y
w a s still dr a ggin g its feet beca u se it eyes
a u ditin g w ith su spicion : com plia n ce w ith
r e gu la tion s w ill h ave to be ser iou sly followed,
a n d com pa n ies w ill h ave to esta blish a n en vir on m en ta l pr ogr a m m e a n d en vir on m en ta l
m a n a gem en t system a pplica ble to a ll a ctivities a t th eir site(s) of oper a tion (s).

Belgian legislation
Th e pictu r e of le gisla tion per ta in in g to a n d
r e gu la tion of a ssessor s a n d a u ditor s is com plica ted, in Belgiu m , by th e n ew “feder a l”
str u ctu r e r ecen tly a dopted for th e cou n tr y.
Wh er e on ce su ch law s wer e n a tion a l, som e
a r e n ow n a tion a l, bu t fa r m or e a r e r e gion a l,
or com m u n ity-ba sed, n ot to spea k of a ddition a l pr ovin cia l a n d m u n icipa l r u les to be
followed.
Th er e a r e th r ee r e gion s a n d th r ee com m u n ities ea ch w ith th eir ow n le gisla tive power s,
th ou gh th e F lem ish r e gion a n d th e F lem ish
com m u n ity h ave fu sed, leavin g five levels of
a dm in istr a tion w ith en vir on m en ta l r espon sibilities. Th e pr olifer a tion of ju r isdiction s,
wh ich a ppa r en tly over la p, gr ew a lon g w ith , if

n ot ou t of, th e ch a n ge-over fr om a u n ita r ia n
sta te to a feder a l str u ctu r e. In m a tter s r ela ted
to th e en vir on m en t, th e cen tr a l gover n m en t
h a s been left w ith h a r dly a n y com peten ce,
viz. a u th or ity, a n d its r espon sibilities h ave
been tr a n sfer r ed to th e th r ee “r e gion s” –
Br u ssels-Ca pita l, F la n der s a n d Wa llon ia [1].

[ 107 ]

Ro ge r H. Charlie r
The Euro pe an Unio n EIAS,
EMAS and audits
Enviro nme ntal Manage me nt
and He alth
9 / 3 [1 9 9 8 ] 1 0 6 –1 2 3

So distin ct is th e sepa r a tion th a t codes a n d
r e gu la tion s a r e n oticea bly differ en t in ea ch .
Re gion s bein g r espon sible for econ om ic a n d
socia l m a tter s wh ile com m u n ities dea l w ith
cu ltu r a l topics, th e fir st r e gu la te en vir on m en ta l m a tter s. Th e F r a n coph on e a n d
Ger m a n oph on e “com m u n ities” exer cise n o
en vir on m en ta l com peten ces a n d su ch m a tter s on th eir “ter r itor y” fa ll u n der Wa lloon
(or Br u ssels) r e gion r u les a n d r e gu la tion s.

The national government
Most m a tter s r ela ted to th e en vir on m en t
h ave been tr a n sfer r ed to th e “r e gion a l”
a u th or ities a n d th ou gh th er e still is a Min istr y for “P u blic Hea lth , Life E n vir on m en t
a n d Socia l In te gr a tion ”; its com peten ce is
n a r r ow ly lim ited. Rem a in in g th u s u n der
cen tr a l gover n m en t a u th or ity a r e th e (Belgia n ) N or th Sea a r ea , n u clea r m a tter s,
en for cem en t of UN O con ven tion s, tr a n spor ta tion of w a stes a cr oss in ter n a tion a l bou n da r ies, a n d tr a de in tr opica l for ests m a ter ia ls.
Th e spok esper son for th e m in ister ’s office
dr yly r em a r k ed th a t th e m in istr y a cts m a in ly
a s a post office box to for w a r d dossier s to
r e gion a l m in istr ies (Ta ble I).
Th e m in istr y’s r espon sibilities for en vir on m en ta l m a tter s a r e eith er clea r ly m a tter s of
n a tion a l com peten ce, or “r esidu a l” a r ea s
wh ich h ave n ot been r e gion a lised.
Wh er e n u clea r pr ojects a r e con cer n ed n o
pr ovision in Belgia n law a ffects th e E U dir ective on E IA. A Roya l Decr ee h a d been
expected in ea r ly 1994. Su ch E IA wou ld be
a im ed a t effects of r a dioa ctivity on m a n , fl or a
a n d fa u n a , for th e la tter two th r ou gh a ir,
w a ter a n d soil con ta m in a tion , a n d tr oph ic
or igin s.
At th e in ter n a tion a l level, h owever, a n d
specifica lly w ith in th e E U, it is th e N a tion a l
Min ister of E n vir on m en t wh o r epr esen ts
Belgiu m . A con sen su s is r ea ch ed a m on g
r e gion s a t r e gu la r ly sch edu led m eetin gs of
th e In ter -m in ister ia l Con fer en ce for th e E n vir on m en t. Re gion a l m in ister s m ay a tten d
m eetin gs of th e E U Cou n cil.
Th e n on -gover n m en ta l Feder a tion of E n vir on m en ta l P r otection Associa tion s com pr ises
Br u ssels or ga n iza tion s, In ter -en vir on m en t
Wa llon ia a n d th e (F lem ish ) Better Life E n vir on m en t Associa tion .
Regions
Th e division of r espon sibilities is differ en t in
ea ch r e gion . Th e Br u ssels Re gion a l E xecu tive
divides politica l r espon sibility for en vir on m en ta l m a tter s a m on g fou r m in istr ies: E n vir on m en t, Wa ter, Wa ste a n d La n d Use P la n n in g. Wa llon ia h a s th r ee m in istr ies w ith
en vir on m en ta l a m on g oth er r espon sibilities:
tech n ology a n d exter n a l r ela tion s. F la n der s
[ 108 ]

divides its en vir on m en ta l r espon sa bilities
between two m in istr ies: E n vir on m en t a n d
Re gion a l P la n n in g. Th e la tter is r espon sible
for tow n a n d r e gion a l pla n n in g, m on u m en ts
a n d sites, w a ter, for est m a n a gem en t, in du str ia l en vir on m en t m a n a gem en t, a gr icu ltu r e
a n d fish er ies, a n d pu blic aw a r en ess. In a ddition , som e pu blic h ea lth r espon sibilities a r e
th e r espon sa bility of th e F lem ish com m u n ity.
Th e execu tive str u ctu r es of th e r espon sible
m in istr ies in ea ch r e gion a r e a lso qu ite differ en t. In Wa llon ia , two dir ector a tes-gen er a l
a r e r espon sible for en vir on m en t, on e for la n d
a n d tow n pla n n in g a n d on e for n a tu r a l
r esou r ces a n d th e en vir on m en t; th e la tter
r elies on th e Office Wa llon d es Déch ets for
w a ste collection a n d disposa l. Wa llon ia su pppor ts en vir on m en ta l r esea r ch th r ou gh th e
In stitu t S cien tifi qu e d u S er vice Pu blic (ISSE P ).

The Fle mish re gio n
E n vir on m en ta l m a tter s in th e F lem ish r e gion
ter r itor y a r e h a n dled by its Min istr y of Life
en vir on m en t (Ta ble II), wh ich a lso a dm in ister s n a tu r e con ser va tion a n d la n d pla n n in g.
Bu t two m in istr ies a ctu a lly sh a r e r espon sibility a s “Re gion a l P la n n in g” r espon sible, n ot
on ly for pla n n in g bu t a lso for w a ter, for ests,
a gr icu ltu r e, fi sh er ies, m on u m en ts a n d sites.
Th e Min ister of th e F lem ish Com m u n ity
ta k es on som e pu blic h ea lth r espon sibilities.
Th e AMINAL (A d m in istra tie M ilieu ,
N a tu u r en L a n d in r ich tin g) Adm in istr a tion
for E n vir on m en t, N a tu r e a n d Con str u ction is
u n der a Secr eta r y Gen er a l of th e Depa r tm en t
for th e E n vir on m en t a n d In fr a str u ctu r e
(Depa r tem en t L eefm ilieu en In fra stru ctu u r),
on e of fou r specia lized depa r tm en ts of th e
F lem ish E xecu tive.
Th e F lem ish Re gion P u blic Wa stes Com pa n y (k n ow n a s OVAM) h a s developed a
w a stes pla n cover in g th e yea r s 1991 th r ou gh
1995. It ta k es a s its ju r idica l ba sis th e Decr ee
of 2 J u ly 1981 a n d r u n s th e ga m u t of ever y
w a ste, except r a dioa ctive m a ter ia ls. A pr eviou s pla n h a d spa n n ed th e 1986-1990 per iod.
Br iefly, th e h istor y of en vir on m en ta l pr otection in Belgiu m sta r ts in 1907 w ith a law dea lin g w ith th e pla cem en t of w a ter con du its a n d
th e cr ea tion of a ssocia tion s of m u n icipa lities
a n d gr ou ps of pr iva te people in con n ection
th er ew ith . On e h a d th en to w a it 26 yea r s for
th e n ext piece of le gisla tion wh ich pr ovided
pr otection for dr in k in g w a ter (1933) a n d 58
yea r s for r e gu la tion of th e tr a n spor t of
ga seou s pr odu cts (1965). F r om 1983 on ,
in ten se le gisla tive a ctivity took pla ce on both
n a tion a l a n d r e gion a l levels u n til 1990 wh en
th e r e gion a l gover n m en ts took over. An
“E n vir on m en t a n d N a tu r e Cou n cil for F la n der s” w a s la u n ch ed in 1991.

Ro ge r H. Charlie r
The Euro pe an Unio n EIAS,
EMAS and audits

Table I
Be lgium – Ministry o f He alth and Enviro nme nt and lo c atio n o f e nviro nme nt o ffic e s

Enviro nme ntal Manage me nt
and He alth
9 / 3 [1 9 9 8 ] 1 0 6 –1 2 3

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
31.
32.
33.
34.
35.
36.
37.
38.
39.
40.
41.
42.
43.
44.
45.
46.
47.
48.
49.
50.
51.
52.
53.
54.
55.
56.
57.

General Sec retariate Sec retary-General
Cabinet and International Relations
Sc ientific Coordination and Doc umentation
Press and Information
Modernization Cells
Training Direc tors
Organizational Servic es
Cell-Information
Sec urity Offic es
Counc ils and Advic e Commissions
Institute for Hygiene and Epidemiology
Direc tor
General Servic es
Administrative Servic es
Computer Center
Library
Doc umentation
Sc ientific Counc il
Direc tor Counc il
Jury for Appointment and Promotion
Mic robiology
Pharmac ology and Bromatology
Epidemiology and Toxic ology
Environment
Management Unit for the Mathematic al Model of the North Sea and the Sc heldt Estuary
Direc torate for General Servic es – Direc tor-General
Administrative Servic es
Personnel Servic es
Translation Servic e
General Household Servic e
Center for Information Proc essing
General Affairs
General Ac c ounting
Honorable Distinc tions (awards, medals)
Legal Servic e
Soc ial Servic e
Direc torate for Soc ial Welfare and Emanc ipation Direc tor
Servic e for Studies and Conflic ts
Servic e for Financ es and Upkeeps Costs
Servic e for Minimum Living Standard
Servic e for Feeding
Servic e for Soc ial Emanc ipation
Servic e for Poverty
Inspec torate
Rec eption Centre for Politic al Refugees
Translators, Sec retaries, Typists
Direc torate for Environment Direc tor-General
Study Servic e
Basis Studies
Tec hnology
International Environmental Affairs
Servic e for Regulation
Air
Water
Soil
Noise
Dangerous Materials

(Continued)

[ 109 ]

Ro ge r H. Charlie r
The Euro pe an Unio n EIAS,
EMAS and audits
Enviro nme ntal Manage me nt
and He alth
9 / 3 [1 9 9 8 ] 1 0 6 –1 2 3

Table I
58.
59.
60.
61.
62.
63.
64.
65.
66.
67.
68.
69.
70
71.
72.
73.
74.
75.
76.
77.
78.
79.
80.
81.
82.
83.
84.
85.
86.
87.
88.
89.
90.
91.

Pestic ides
Other Toxic Matter
Waste
Import/ Export
Direc torate for Foods and Drugs Direc torate-General
Pharmac eutic al Inspec tion Fund for Medic ation
Food Inspec torate
Direc torate for Hospitals, Clinic s et al. Direc torate-General
Direc torate of Healthc are Establishments
Ac c ounting and Management of Hospitals
Legal Affairs, Legislation and Conflic ts
Logistic s Servic es
Direc torate of Medic al Prac tic e
Medic al Prac tic e
Inspec tion for Nursing
Hygiene (Health) Inspec tion
Provinc ial Medic al Commissions
“ 100” Servic e (= Emergenc y)
Cell for Medic al-Soc ial Orientation
Direc torate for Soc ial Medic ine Direc tor-General
State Soc ial Medic al Servic e
Central Administration
External servic es
Legal-Medic al Servic e
Legal-Medic al Servic e
Brussels Expertise (= analysis, c hec king) Center
Direc torate for War-Vic tims – State Commissioner
Coordination Offic e
Servic e for Control of National Institutions for War Vic tims
Servic e for Pensions of Civilian War Vic tims
Servic e for Statutes of National Gratitude
Servic e for “ Rents” (= Financ ial Brevets)
Servic e for Searc hes and Doc umentation
National Institute for War Invalids, War Veterans and War Casualties
M INISTRY OF SOCIAL AFFAIRS,
PUBLIC HEALTH AND THE ENVIRONM ENT

SECRETARIAT GENERAL

INSTITUTE OF VETERINARY
INSPECTION

INSTITUTE FOR HYGIENE AND
EPIDEMIOLOGY

INSTITUT
PASTEUR

GENERAL SERVICES
Human re so urc e s
and So c ial affairs

RESEARCH
AND
INFORMATION

SOCIAL
SECURITY

Financ e and
Info rmatic s

HEALTH
CARE

PROTECTION
OF HEALTH

Th e Decr ee of 23 Ma r ch 1989 esta blish es
r u les for th e a ccr edita tion of “exper ts”, pr ocedu r es for E IAs a n d su per vision or con tr ol.
Th e “colle ge of exper ts” ch a r ged w ith a n

[ 110 ]

MEDICAL
EXPERTISE

SOCIAL
INSPECTION

ENVIRONMENT

WAR
VICTIMS

a ssessm en t is obliga tor ily m a de u p of on e or
m or e exper ts fa m ilia r w ith th e poten tia l
en vir on m en ta l distu r ba n ce(s) typica l of th e
pr oject, a n d of on e or m or e exper ts selected

Ro ge r H. Charlie r
The Euro pe an Unio n EIAS,
EMAS and audits
Enviro nme ntal Manage me nt
and He alth
9 / 3 [1 9 9 8 ] 1 0 6 –1 2 3

fr om th e gover n m en t a ppr oved list, ch osen in
su ch a m a n n er th a t a ll disciplin es in volved in
th e pr oject a t h a n d be r epr esen ted. F iles of
th e va r iou s a dm in istr a tion s dea lin g w ith th e
en vir on m en t a r e open to th e “colle ge of
exper ts”.
If en vir on m en ta l im pa ct a ssessm en t a n d
en vir on m en ta l per m it gr a n tin g h ave been th e
su bject of a n im pr essive code r u n n in g close to
500 pa ges, a n d a r e a ppa r en tly well defin ed,
th e situ a tion w ith a u ditin g r esem bles a fr eefor -a ll scr a m ble.
In Belgiu m , a n d ipso fa cto in F la n der s, n o
n or m s or r equ ir em en ts h ave been specified
for a per son to be a n a ccr edited (or
r e gister ed) en vir on m en ta l a u ditor, on a n
officia l (viz . gover n m en ta l) ba sis, n or h a s a n y
pr ofession a l or ga n iza tion set u p sh op to pr ovide a n a ccr edita tion pr ocess. Th is is th u s in
con tr a st w ith th e UK, wh ose r e gister ed a u ditor s (of wh ich ever of th e th r ee levels
pr ovided) h ave n o sta n din g h er e a n d m igh t
even tu a lly n ot even be a llowed to pu t u p sh op
in th e F lem ish r e gion .

The Brusse ls re gio n
Th e Br u ssels-Ca pita l r e gion h a s its ow n secr eta r y of sta te (m ea n in g “ju n ior m in ister ”)
for th e en vir on m en t (Ta ble III). Histor ica l
developm en t of en vir on m en ta l le gisla tion a s

descr ibed for th e F lem ish r e gion is equ a lly
per tin en t h er e.
Con ceiva bly th e Br u ssels r e gion cou ld
sim ply a dopt th e E u r opea n “dir ectives”.
Besides th e Min istr y of th e E n vir on m en t,
th r ee oth er m in istr ies a r e in volved: Wa ste,
Wa ter a n d La n d Use P la n n in g.
A “Dir ector a te” dea ls w ith pla n n in g a n d
n a tu r e pr otection , wh ile pollu tion stu dy,
m a n a gem en t a n d licen sin g m a tter s a r e dea lt
w ith by th e Br u ssels In stitu te for E n vir on m en ta l Ma n a gem en t. F in a lly, Br u ssels-Clea n lin ess collects h ou seh old w a stes a n d AggloBr u ssels in cin er a tes th em .

The Wallo o n re gio n
Wa llon ia h a s th r ee m in istr ies (E n vir on m en t
a n d Wa ter, N a tu r e Con ser va tion a n d
Re gion a l P la n n in g, Resea r ch , Tech n olgy a n d
E xter n a l Rela tion s) look in g a fter th e en vir on m en t (Ta ble IV).
Of two “dir ector a tes” on e is in ch a r ge of
la n d-u se a n d tow n -pla n n in g; th e oth er of
n a tu r a l r esou r ces a n d en vir on m en t w ith th e
Wa lloon Wa stes Office collectin g a n d disposin g. Th e Scien tific In stitu te of P u blic Ser vice
su ppor ts per tin en t r esea r ch (Ta ble I).
In Belgiu m , bu ildin g a n d oper a tin g per m its, n ow ca lled “en vir on m en ta l licen se”
pr ocedu r es, a r e n ot dissocia ted: a n E IA is
r equ ir ed for a n ew per m it or for a n old on e to

Table II
Be lgium: Flande rs AMINAL – Administratio n o f Enviro nme nt, Nature and Land Use Planning

AM INAL
Administratie Milie u, Natuur e n Landinric hting

INSTITUUT VOOR NATUURBEHOUD

2

INSTITUUT VOOR BOSBOUM EN WILDBEHEER

3

BESTUUR
ALGEMEEN
MILIEUBELEID

ALGEMENE LEIDING 1
CEL PLANNING, MER EN PROMOTIE

5

BESTUUR
MILIEUINVESTERINGEN 11

BESTUUR
MILIEUVERGUNNINGEN 13

ALGEMENE LEIDING

6

ALGEMENE LEIDING 12

DIENST LUCHT
EN GELUID

7

DIENST WATER
EN BODEM

8

DIENST MILIEUTECHNOLOGIE

9

BESTUUR
MILIEUINSPECTIE

17

BESTUUR
NATUURBEHOUD EN
-ONTWIKKELING 21

BESTUUR
LANDINRICHTING
EN-BEHEER
27

ALGEMENE LEIDING 14

ALGEMENE LEIDING 18

ALGEMENE LEIDING 22

ALGEMENE LEIDING 28

DIENST VERGUNNINGSVOOR
VAARDEN EN BEROEPEN 15

HOOFDINSPECTIE

DIENST WATER EN
BOSSEN
23

DIENST ORDENING
EN PLATTELAND 29

19

BUITENDIENSTEN

BUTTENDIENSTEN
20

16

DIENST GROEN

DIENST GEVAARNJKE
STOFFEN EN
RISICOBEHEER 10

Key
1 Direc torate General
2 Nature Conserv. Institute
3 Forests & Wildlife Institute
4 Planning, Env. Protec t. &
Promotion Unit
5 Gener. Envir. Manag. Direc t.
6 General Leadership

4

24

LANDELIJKE
WATERDIENST 30

DIENST NATUUR
BESCHERMING 25

DIENST POLDERS EN
WATERINGEN 31

DIENST NATUUR
UNIWIKKEING 26

7
8
9
10

Air & Noise Servic e
Water & Soil Servic e
Environ. Tec hnol. Serv.
Dangerous Goods & Risks
Man.
11 Env. Investments
Administr.

12
13
14
15

General Leadership
Lic ensing Conditions
General Leadership
Lic ensing Conditions &
Appeals Servic e
16 External Servic es
17 Env. Inspec tion Direc tor.

18
19
20
21

General Leadership
Head Inspec torate
External Servic e
Nature Conservation &
Development Administr.
22 General Leadership
23 Water & Forest Serv.

24
25
26
27
28
29

Green Areas Servic e
Nature Protec tion S.
Nature Developm. Serv.
Land-Use & -Manag. Admin.
General Leadership
Land-Use & Tillable Soils S..

BUITENDIENSTEN

32

30 Rural Water Servic e
31 Polders & “ Waterings”
Serv.
32 External Servic es

[ 111 ]

Ro ge r H. Charlie r
The Euro pe an Unio n EIAS,
EMAS and audits
Enviro nme ntal Manage me nt
and He alth
9 / 3 [1 9 9 8 ] 1 0 6 –1 2 3

be r en ewed. In F la n der s, pr ojects r equ ir in g
a n E IA a r e stipu la ted on a “list”; th e Wa lloon
“list” is less com pr eh en sive, bu t on th e ba sis
of a qu a lita tive envir on m en ta l a n a lysis (IE E ),
viz. a n in itia l en vir on m en ta l eva lu a tion , th e
per m it issu in g a u th or ity m ay decide on th e
a ppr opr ia ten ess of a “fu ll E IA”.
If a pr oject is in itia ted by a pu blic a gen cy, a
pu blic in qu ir y if for eseen in Wa llon ia . N o
su ch pu blic in volvem en t is pr ovided for in
F la n der s. Th e exper t is solely r espon sible for
th e pr epa r a tion of th e th e E IA, w ith in for m a tion fu r n ish ed by th e developer in Wa llon ia ,
wh ile in F la n der s th e E IA pr ocess is a join t
effor t. “E xper ts’ cer tifica tion is on a n in dividu a l’s ba sis in F la n der s (a n d in a specific en vir on m en ta l disciplin e) bu t on a con su lta n cy
fir m level, a ccor din g to pr oject’s ca te gor y, in
Wa llon ia . Her e th e Wa lloon E n vir on m en ta l
Cou n cil (Con seil Wa llon d e l’En viron n em en t)
ch eck s E IA qu a lity, a dvises on en vir on m en ta l
a dequ a cy, cou n sels on con su lta n ts’ cer tifica tion a n d le gisla tion developm en ts. It in clu des
in du str y, en vir on m en ta l or ga n iza tion s,
u n ion s, a ca dem e, con su m er s a n d officia ldom
r epr esen ta tives. Less “open ” is th e situ a tion
in F la n der s wh er e E IA r epor t follow -u p a n d

eva lu a tion is en tir ely vested in th e a dm in istr a tion .

Communes and provinces
Th e pr ovin ces a n d com m u n es (m u n icipa lities) r e gu la te “ever yth in g wh ich is of loca l
in ter est” in clu din g pu blic h ea lth , la n d u se
a n d en vir on m en t a n d a r e r espon sible u n der
r e gion a l le gisla tion for cer ta in licen sin g
pr ocedu r es.
Both pr ovin ces a n d com m u n es a r e obliged
to fu lfill ta sk s im posed on th em by r egion a l
or n a tion a l legisla tion w ith in th e fr a m ewor k
of th e pla n n in g a n d bu ildin g law s. Th e
com m u n es a r e em power ed to a dopt law s to
fill ga ps in r egion a l or n a tion a l legisla tion
in cer ta in a r ea s. Th eir policy h a s th e obliga tion to pr osecu te loca l envir on m en ta l viola tion s.
In F la n der s pr ovin ces issu e cla ss 2 in sta lla tion s per m its a n d com m u n es cla ss 3. Th e
r e gion ’s in te gr a ted per m it str u ctu r e cover s
a ir, w a ter, w a stes, n oise, h a za r ds a n d E IAs.
Wa llon ia h a s sepa r a te str u ctu r es for a ir,
w a ter a n d w a ste. Air a n d n oise ca te gor y I

Table III
Lo c atio n o f “ e nviro nme nt” o ffic e s. EIA re spo nsibility o ffic e in o ve rall sc he me s
INSTITUT BRUXELLOIS POUR LA GESTION DE L’ ENVIRONNEMENT1
DIRECTION2
GESTION TRANSVERSALE
3

– Coordination interne
– Coordination suprarégionale
– Etudes d’ inc endies
– Bruit
– SHE

RECHERCHE &
PLANIFICATION
4

LOGISTIQUE &
INFORMATION
5

– Laboratoire de Rec herc he en
Environnement (air, bruit)
– Statistiques et Indic ateurs
– Plan Déc hets
– CELINE

– Ac tions extérieures spéc ifiques
– Doc umentation/ bibliothèque
– Servic es généraux
– Relations publiques
– Public ations

ESPACE VERTS
7

INSPECTORAT &
SURVEILLANCE
8

– Coordination & Programmation
–Administratif et Tec hnique
– Forêt et Réserves naturelles
– Parc s et Jardins

– Conseil Juridique et Tec hnique
– Surveillanc e des Parc s
– Equipe Tec hnique
– Taxation Eau
– Polic e

PREVENTION &
AUTORISATION
6
– Tec hnologies Propres
– Autorisation et Agrégation

Legend
1. Brussels Institute for Environmental Management
2. Direc torate
3. Transversal Management. Internal c oordination. Supra-regional c oordinational EIAs. Noise
4. Researc h and Planning. Environment (air, noise) researc h laboratory. Statistic s and indic ators. Wastes plan
5. Logistic s and information. Spec ific external ac tions. Doc umentation/ Library. General servic es. Public relations. Public ations
6. Prevention and Lic ensing. Own tec hnologies. Authorizations and lic ensing
7. Green spac es. Coordination and programming. Administrative and tec hnic al. Forests and natural reserves. Parks and gardens
8. Inspec torate and surveillanc e. Juridic al and tec hnic al c ounc il. Parks surveillanc e. Tec hnic al team. Water taxation. Polic e

[ 112 ]

Ro ge r H. Charlie r
The Euro pe an Unio n EIAS,
EMAS and audits
Enviro nme ntal Manage me nt
and He alth
9 / 3 [1 9 9 8 ] 1 0 6 –1 2 3

in sta lla tion s get per m its fr om th e pr ovin ce,
ca te gor y II fr om th e com m u n e.
Key poin ts r a ised a bou t im plem en ta tion
of E MAS ca n be a n swer ed a s follow s for
Belgiu m : wh ile n o specific r epr esen ta tion in
th e com peten t body h a s been spelled ou t,
th r ee bodies – on e per r e gion – wer e cr ea ted:
th e AMINAL th e CWE , a n d th e IBGE a n d
BIM. It w a s fr om th e on set im pr oba ble th a t
th e n a tion a l con su ltin g or ga n iza tion becom e
in volved in th e com peten t body. N o specifica tion r equ ir em en ts for ver ifi er s h a d been
defin ed by J u n e 1995, th ou gh th ey wer e u n der
discu ssion a n d u n dou btedly wou ld be m odeled a fter E U specifica tion s. Accr edita tion of
ver ifier s cou ld be vested in BE LCE RT, th e
Belgia n Cer tifica tion system su per vised by
th e Feder a l (Cen tr a l) Min istr y of E con om y.
N o steps tow a r ds a n a tion a l “eco-a u dit” or ga n iza tion h ave been ta k en , bu t som e existin g
gr ou ps a r e a ppa r en tly vyin g for su ch sta tu s.
P r ogr ess in E MAS im plem en ta tion va r ies
w idely fr om cou n tr y to cou n tr y.
Th er e a r e sim ila r n on -n e gligible va r ia tion s
th r ou gh ou t th e E U in th e a pplica tion of th e
“E IA dir ective”. In a ll th r ee Belgia n
“r e gion s”, for m a l pr ocedu r es a r e r equ ir ed
by th e “r espon sible bodies” for u n der ta k in g
a n E IA a n d a for m a l r e gistr a tion sch em e
exists for con su lta n cies w ish in g to u n der ta k e
E IAs. Th er e is a lso in ea ch r e gion a system
for th e r eview of com pleted E ISs a n d a

r equ ir em en t th a t con su lta n cies be in depen den t of en gin eer in g design con su lta n cies
wh ich a r e con tr a ctor s. Th e la tter r equ ir em en t exists a lso on ly in Gr eece a t th e tim e of
w r itin g.
Th e sa m e “bodies” decide, in F la n der s a n d
Br u ssels, th e scope of th e E IA wh en pr epa r in g th e ter m s of r efer en ce, a n d officia l a dvice
m ay be ava ila ble to a ssist in th is ta sk . In
Wa llon ia , th e CWE m ay som etim es dicta te
th e E IA’s scope, even tu a lly a fter con su lta tion
a n d discu ssion w ith sta tu tor y con su ltees.
F r om a su r vey con du cted r ecen tly by E F CA,
n o r espon se w a s ava ila ble fr om F la n der s or
Br u ssels con cer n in g th e va lu e typica lly
a tta ch ed to E IA stu dies; in Wa llon ia th e va lu e
expr essed a s a per cen ta ge of eith er design
va lu e or ca pita l va lu e w a s 0.5 to 5. In m ost
ca ses, th e u pper level r eflects th e costs of
m itiga tion or im pr ovem en t, wh ich ca n be
in clu ded in th e cost of E IA. Th e sa m e su r vey
r evea led th a t 42, 161 a n d fi ve con su lta n cies,
r espectively in Wa llon ia , F la n der s a n d Br u ssels, a r e a ctive in th e field of en vir on m en ta l
a ssessm en t.

Compliance with the EEC directive
Sever a l a m en dm en ts to dir ective 85/ 337/ E E C
a r e u n der stu dy. An E U r eview docu m en t
a ppea r ed on 1 October 1996.

Table IV
Be gium: Wallo nia Dire c to rate -Ge ne ral o f Natural Re so urc e s and the Enviro nme nt
DIRECTION GENERALE DES RESSOURCES
NATURELLES ET DE L’ ENVIRONNEMENT 1
INSPECTION GENERALE DE
L’ ENVIRONNEMENT ET DES FORETS 2
SERVICE DES FORETS
DE LA CHASSE ET DE LA
PECHE
3
SERVICE DE
POLITIQUE
FORESTIERE
GENERALE

4

CHASSE PECHE
TENDERIE

5

SERVICE DE
L’ENVIRONNEMENT

8
PREVENTION DES
POLLUTIONS

AMENAGEMENT
ET GENIE
FORESTIER

6

SERVICES
EXTERIEURS

7

SERVICE DES
RESSOURCES DU
SOUS-SOL
13
ETUDES

14

9

CONSERVATION DE LA
NATURE GESTION ET
SURVEILLANCE DU
MILIEU
10
GESTION DES
DECHETS

Key
1 General Directorate for Natural
Resourc es & Env.
2 Inspec torate General for Env.
& Forests
3 Forestry, Hunt & Fisheries
Servic e

INSPECTION GENERALE
17
DE L’ EAU

EXPLOITATION ET
CONTROLE
15
SERVICES
EXTERIEURS

16

11

PRODUCTION
ET GRANDS
TRANSPORTS 2 2

15

10 Nature Conservation, Env.
Management & Surveillance
11 Wastes Management
12 Green Spac es Use Serv.
13 Undergr. Resourc es Serv.
14 Studies
15 Exploration & Control

SERVICE DE
GESTION ET DE
CONTROLE 2 3

PROGRAMMATION
TARIFICATION
ET CONTROLE
DES PRIX
19

COMITE DE
COORDINATION

24

EAUX
SOUTERRAINES

OUVRAGES

25

EAUX DE SURFACE2 8

SERVICE
SCIENTIFIQUE ET
TECHNIQUE DE
L’EAU
20

AIMENTATION DES
TETES DE RESEAUX
DE DISTRIBUTION 2 6

ETUDES DES EAUX
SOUTERRAINES ET
DES EAUX DE
SURFACE
21

SERVICE
D’AMENAGEMENT
DES ESPACES
12
VERTS

4 General Forestry Polic y
Ser.
5 Hunt, Fishing & Birding
6 Use & Forest Engineering
7 External Servic es
8 Environment Servic e
9 Pollution Prevention

POLITIQUE
GENERALE
DE L’EAU

16
17
18
19

External Servic es
Water Gener. Inspec torate
General Water Polic y
Pric e Programm, Rates &
Control
20 Water Sc ientif & Tec hnic al
Servic e

21
22
23
24
25
26

Surfac e and subterran
Produc t & Large Transp.
Managem. & Control Serv.
Coordination Commitee
Works
Distribution Nethead Points
Feeding

27

FINANCES

29

EPURATION DES
EAUX USEES

30

DISTRIBUTION

31

HYDRAULIQUE
AGRICOLE

32

SERVICES
EXTERIEURS

33

27
28
29
30
31
32
33

Subterranean Waters
Surfac e Waters
Financ es
Used Waters Purific ation
Distribution
Agric ultural Hydraulic s
External Servic es

[ 113 ]

Ro ge r H. Charlie r
The Euro pe an Unio n EIAS,
EMAS and audits
Enviro nme ntal Manage me nt
and He alth
9 / 3 [1 9 9 8 ] 1 0 6 –1 2 3

All poten tia l m odifica tion s h ave im plica tion s
for con su lta n cy or ga n iza tion s, both in ter m s
of poten tia lly in cr ea sin g m a r k ets for ser vices, bu t a lso pla cin g on u s on con su lta n ts to
im pr ove th e qu a lity of th eir pr odu ct; con sequ en tly it is to be h oped th a t effective tigh ten in g of E IA pr ocedu r es w ill see a r edu ction in
a n d even tu a l r em ova l of below -sta n da r d oper a tor s.
Th is situ a tion a ppea r s to be occu r r in g a s
exper ien ce ga in ed in th e a ppr oa ch to E IAs
cr ea tes a gr a du a l evolu tion of tech n iqu es
a n d im pr ovem en t in pr oject execu tion . E ISs
a r e con sider ed a s th e “sta r tin g poin t” for
m a n y pu blic in qu ir ies. As su ch th ey for m a n
ever m or e im por ta n t step in th e for m a lized
pla n n in g pr ocedu r e, bein g a ppr opr ia tely
r ecogn ized a s a n in te gr a l pla n n in g tool, bu t
n ot a s a pa n a cea for a ll pla n n in g
pr oblem s.

EIA implementation
In or der to deter m in e h ow sign ifica n t a r e th e
va r ia tion s in th e a pplica tion of th e E IA dir ective th r ou gh ou t th e E U, E F CA h a s u n der ta k en a su r vey th r ou gh r epr esen ta tives of its
n a tion a l m em ber or ga n iza tion s. F a ctor s
a ffectin g su ch pr a ctica l a spects a s costs a n d
com petition h ave been con sider ed (Ta bles Va
a n d Vb):
1 Wh a t or ga n iza tion s h ave r espon sibility for
th e en a ctm en t of le gisla tion r ela tin g to th e
E IA dir ective?
2 Ar e th er e a n y for m a l pr ocedu r es r equ ir ed
by th e a bove or ga n iza tion s or le gisla tu r e
for u n der ta k in g a n E IA?
3 Is th er e a n y for m a l or in for m a l r e gistr a tion sch em e for con su lta n cies w ish in g to
u n der ta k e E IAs?
4 Is th er e a system for th e r eview of com pleted E ISs a n d if so, wh a t is th e sta tu s of
th e fin din gs of th e or ga n iza tion ?
5 Appr oxim a tely h ow m a n y con su lta n cies
a r e a ctive in th e field of en vir on m en t
a ssessm en t?
6 Is th er e a r equ ir em en t for con su lta n cies to
be in depen den t of en gin eer in g design
con su lta n cies a n d/ or con tr a ctor s?
7 Wh o decides th e scope of th e E IA wh en
pr epa r in g ter m s of r efer en ce a n d is th er e
a n y officia l a dvice to a ssist in th is ta sk ?
8 Wh a t va lu e is a tta ch ed typica lly to E IA
stu dies, a s a per cen ta ge of eith er design
va lu e or ca pita l va lu e ?
Survey results
Ge ne ral
Th e r esu lts of th e su r vey a r e in ten ded
pr im a r ily for th e u se of th e E F CA m em ber sh ip a n d it is a n ticipa ted th a t r espective
n a tion a l or ga n iza tion s w ill m a k e th e r esu lts
of th e exer cise ava ila ble to m em ber fir m s if
[ 114 ]

r equ ested. However, it m ay be a ppr opr ia te
to pr ovide copies to tech n ica l officer s w ith in
DG XI, wh o m ay fin d th e in for m a tion of u se
in r eview in g th eir pr oposa ls for a m en dm en t
of th e E IA dir ective.
Va r ia tion between m em ber sta tes is qu ite
m a r k ed. As r equ ir ed by le gisla tion , th er e is
gen er a lly a “for m a l” pr ocedu r e w ith r espect
to th e con ten ts of a n E IA, bu t th is is u su a lly a
str a igh tfor w a r d r eflection of th e dicta tes of
th e E IA dir ective. Wh er ever th er e is discr etion a r y con sider a tion of fa ctor s, su ch a s
r e gistr a tion of con su lta n ts or r eview pr ocedu r e, th er e a r e r ela tively few m em ber sta tes
wh er e su ch pr ocedu r es a r e r e gu la r ly
followed.

Quality o f EIAs
Th e om ission of r e gistr a tion a n d r eview fr om
a n y for m a l eva lu a tion r equ ir em en t h a s led,
a t lea st in pa r t, to th e u n sa tisfa ctor y situ a tion th a t h a s a r isen in m a n y m em ber sta tes
w ith r espect to th e qu a lity of E ISs. Qu a lity of
E ISs is con sider ed to be a m a jor fa ctor in th e
su ccess or oth er w ise of th e im plem en ta tion of
th e E IA dir ective. Th er e is n o for m a l con tr ol
over th is issu e in vir tu a lly a n y of th e m em ber
sta tes a n d clien t or ga n iza tion s fr equ en tly feel
th a t th ey do n ot obta in va lu e for m on ey. Com peten t a u th or ities, u su a lly th e pla n n in g or ga n iza tion s, often do n ot h ave th e in -h ou se
ca pa bility to eva lu a te E ISs, n ota bly for com plex pr ocess pr ocedu r es, a n d a r e equ a lly
cr itica l of th e r a n ge in qu a lity of pr esen ted
docu m en ts.
F r om discu ssion s w ith r epr esen ta tives of
th e n a tion a l or ga n iza tion s, it is felt th a t better
gu ida n ce on th e appr oa ch to u n der ta k in g
E IAs wou ld be va lu a ble. If th is w a s a ch ieved,
th er e cou ld be gr ea ter u n ifor m ity in a ppr oa ch
a n d h en ce im pr ovem en t in th e qu a lity of
E IAs. Th is fa ct a ppea r s to be r ecogn ized by
con su lta n cies, a s well a s th eir clien ts.
Th er e h a s been su ggestion th a t sta n da r diza tion of a ppr oa ch wou ld be h elpfu l, th ou gh
it is a ppr ecia ted th a t th is m ay be difficu lt to
effect in pr a ctice. It is of som e con cer n th a t
th e con su lta n ts a r e h eld r espon sible for th e
qu a lity of en vir on m en ta l sta tem en ts pr odu ced, a n d yet th er e is n o for m a l gu ida n ce to
en su r e th a t th er e is a ba sis for th e equ ita ble
eva lu a tion of sta tem en ts.
Su bsidia r ity dicta tes th a t ea ch m em ber
sta te’s com peten t a u th or ity is r espon sible for
th e a ppr oa ch a dopted to th e E IA pr ocedu r e.
However, th er e is little in dica tion th a t th e
va r iou s a u th or ities a r e in a position to pr ovide th e m u ch n eeded fr a m ewor k to en su r e
com pa r a tive execu tion of pr ojects.
As a lr ea dy r ecogn ized, defin in g su ch a
fr a m ewor k cou ld pr ove difficu lt, ow in g to
th e diver se n a tu r e of pr ojects wh ich a r e th e

Ro ge r H. Charlie r
The Euro pe an Unio n EIAS,
EMAS and audits
Enviro nme ntal Manage me nt
and He alth
9 / 3 [1 9 9 8 ] 1 0 6 –1 2 3

su bject of EIAs. It is dou btfu l th a t a n y on e
pr ocedu r e wou ld sa tisfa ctor ily a ccom m oda te
a ll pr oject types, sin ce it is on ly th e pr ocedu r e
of EIA wh ich is com m on . Differ en t pr oject
categor ies r equ ir e differ en t a spects to be con sider ed w ith va r yin g degr ees of th or ou gh n ess.

Re gistratio n sc he me s
Th e cr ea tion of a r e gistr a tion a n d self-r e gu la tin g/ policin g a ppr oa ch to E IAs a ppea r s to
be developin g in m a n y cou n tr ies in r espon se
to th e cr iticism s. On ly by en cou r a gem en t of
th e em er gen ce of for m a lized a u th or ities,
in stitu tes or a gen cies, w ill E F CA n a tion a l
or ga n iza tion s be a ble to en su r e th a t th e

pr ofession effects con tr ol over th e oper a tion
of su bsta n da r d com pa n ies.
Th er e is on ly on e m em ber sta te (Belgiu m )
wh er e th er e is a for m a l r equ ir em en t for r e gistr a tion of E IA con su lta n cies a n d a n in for m a l r equ ir em en t in Spa in . Oth er w ise, th e
system is pu r ely volu n ta r y a n d in th e m a jor ity of ca ses, th er e is little eviden ce of “selfr e gu la tion ”.
It is gen er a lly con sider ed th a t th e cr ea tion
of su ch or ga n iza tion s th r ou gh ou t m em ber
sta tes wou ld be ben efi cia l to th e in du str y a s a
wh ole. It wou ld h ave th e su ppor t of va r iou s
clien t a n d eva lu a tin g a u th or ities a n d a lso

Table Va
Summary re sults o f surve y o f EFCA me mbe rship
1

2

3b

4

5

6

7

CWE/
AMINAL/
IBGE-BIM
Ministry of
Environment

Yes/ yes/ yes

Yes/ yes/ yes
(F/ F/ F) b

Yes/ yes/ yes

42/ 161/ 5

Yes/ yes/ yes

CAc / AMINAL/ 0.5-5/ ? / ?
IGBE

Yes

No

?

25

No

Ministry of
Environment

Yes

No

No

+20?

No

Ministry of
Up to 5 f
Environment/
Registration
Administration
Developer/
Unc ertain
Consultant

Ministry of
Environment

Yes

No

No

Ca. 15

Yes

Italy

Ministry of
Environment

Yes

No

Yes

No

The Netherlands

MHPP and
E/ MANMF/
CEIA
MOPTMA/
Regional
Authorities
N/ Ae

Yes

No

Yes (CEIA)

10-20 (large)
100-200
(small)
15

No

CEIA

0.1-1

Yes

Yes (1)

No

+100

No

Developer/
Consultant

Unc ertain

BUWAL +
several
c antonal
exec utive
authorities
No
(guidelines)

No

No lic ensing
+100
authority.
Assess projec t
based on EIA

No

Lic ensing
Authority

1-5 f

No

On request
(instruc tion
of EIA)

No

Developer/
Consultant/
CAc

0.01-1

Belgiuma

Denmark

Ireland
France
Germany
Greece

Spain

Switzerland

UK

Department
of
Environment

+300

8

Public
Unc ertain
Authority/
Developer/ TOR
by Ministry
Dec ree d
Developer/
Unc ertain
Consultant

Notes:
a
Situation presented for all three regions of Belgium in the following order (Walloon/ Flemish/ Brussels)
b
F: formal requirement; I: informal arrangement
c
CA: Competent Authority sometimes dic tates sc ope of EA, following c onsultation and disc ussion with Statutory Consultees
d Loc al authorities and developers responsible for their own TOR, but Ministerial dec ree dic tates minimum TOR
e
Switzerland is not a member of the EU and therefore does not adhere to EU legislation. However, Umweltsc hutzgestz (USG 1983) and
UVP-Verordnung (1988) apply for EIA issues
f
The upper level reflec ts the c ost of mitigation or amelioration, whic h c an be inc luded in c ost of EIA

[ 115 ]

Ro ge r H. Charlie r
The Euro pe an Unio n EIAS,
EMAS and audits

Enviro nme ntal Manage me nt
and He alth
9 / 3 [1 9 9 8 ] 1 0 6 –1 2 3

[ 116 ]
Table Vb
Imple me ntatio n o f EMAS – status January 1 9 9 7
1

2

Competent body

Representation
in competent body

3b
Involvement of
national consulting
organisation
in competent body

4

5

6

7

Specification
requirements for
verifiers

Accreditation of
verifiers

National
eco-audit organisation

Registered sites/
accredited verifiers

Federal Ministry of
Ec onomic Affairs,
Z ulassungsstelle für
Umweltgutac hter
Ministry of
Ec onomic
Affairs,
Department of
Quality and
Sec urity, Division
Quality
Ac c reditation
Servic e (BELCERT)

No

40/ 12

Coordination on
national level
alters between
Flanders (AMINAL)
and Wallonie (AWR)

2 (Flanders)/ 0

Under disc ussion

13/ 3 (10.12.96)

Austria

Federal Environmental Federal Environmental No
Agenc y
Agenc y

Completed

Belgium

Distric t level:
1 Brussels Institute
for Environmental
Management (IBGE)
2 Administration for
Environmental
Management
(AMINAL) (Flanders)
3 Administration of
Walloon Region
(Wallonie)
Federal level:
Ministry of Environment
and Public Health
Environmental Counc il
under Ministry of
Environment

Spec ific ations
have been
prepared and
approved by
BELCERT

Denmark

Only the government
is represented. In
the Regional Counc il
for Environment, whic h
appointed the
c ompetent body,
various parties are
represented

No (indirec tly
through the
Regional
Counc il)

The environmental
Ac c ording to
management c ounc il
DANAK
has been established as
an advisory body to
Danish EPA and to
DANAK in questions of
EMAS. FRI is represented
in the c ounc il

DANAK (Danish
ac c reditation)

(Continued)

Ro ge r H. Charlie r
The Euro pe an Unio n EIAS,
EMAS and audits

Enviro nme ntal Manage me nt
and He alth
9 / 3 [1 9 9 8 ] 1 0 6 –1 2 3

Table Vb

France

1

2

Competent body

Representation
in competent body

Ministry of
Environment with
c onsultative
c ommittee

3b
Involvement of
national consulting
organisation
in competent body

4

5

6

7

Specification
requirements for
verifiers

Accreditation of
verifiers

National
eco-audit organisation

Registered sites/
accredited verifiers

Through COFRAC
(Comité Franç ais
d’ ac c réditation)

No plans

7/ 9

[ 117 ]

Through a c ommittee Through COFRAC
Guidelines under the
totalling 20 members, c ommittee, whic h is in COFRAC
with:
c harge of verifiers’
– Ministry of
ac c reditation
Environment (one
representative)
– Ministry of Industries
(one representative)
– Ministry of Agric ulture
(one representative)
– Ministry of Financ e
(one