Vol. 546 No. 3
261 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government his views on the fact that few local authorities have sought or achieved accreditation to nationally or other recognised environmental management systems but are made responsible for water, waste and air management at local level; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31569/01]
In general, environmental management certification schemes, including ISO 14001, the international standard for environmental management systems, and EMAS, the EU Eco-Management and Audit Scheme, provide a structured voluntary approach for controlling and reducing the environmental impacts of an organisation's day to day operations. The schemes were originally seen as an important source of authoritative information for the public and business in relation to reporting by commercial enterprises on their environmental performance and impacts. EMAS was revised in 2000 and extended to all organisations as well as industrial sites.
The Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, has a statutory obligation to exercise general supervision over the performance by local authorities of their statutory environmental protection functions. An environmental management system for assessing such performance is being developed and applied on a pilot basis by the EPA. While this system will be an appropriate tool for overseeing the performance by local authorities of their statutory environmental protection functions, local authorities are encouraged, under the revised guidelines on local agenda 21, which I published earlier this year, to develop environmental management systems both in respect of corporate planning and the operation of specific facilities.
In order to demonstrate leadership in this matter, as well as for the more sustainable management of its own internal operations and resources, my Department has already applied to the National Standards Authority of Ireland for ISO 14001 certification.
