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EMAS - Performance, Credibility, Transparency

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Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining (NACE codes 01. to 10.)

14/10/05

Veterinarian treats animals with EMAS

Bernhard Lenhof, a German veterinarian from Tholey-Hasborn in Saarland, has received his EMAS certificate from Stefan Mörsdorf, the Minister of Environment in Saarland, which makes him the first to receive EMAS registration in his sector in Europe.

The vet has committed himself to improve packaging from pharmaceuticals, to work out measures for energy efficiency and to improve the use of disinfectants and detergents. As Mr. Lenhof puts it, “greater transparency in data will lead to a better procurement procedure and finally to business improvement.”

EMAS will also be communicated to the public in order to highlight the link between animal protection and environmental protection.

The Environmental Statement can be requested from Bernhard Lenhof.

13/01/05

EMAS implementation in Coimbra Agricultural High School covers re-forestation and on study on EMAS’ role in CAP

Escola Superior Agrária de Coimbra (ESAC) is a public polytechnic teaching institution, located within Coimbra´s urban area in the Portuguese Centre Region. Its campus has rural characteristics, with a significant area of agricultural fields, pastures, forests and typical infrastructures, with a total of 142 ha.

The major activities of ESAC occur in education, research and providing services in agriculture, forestry, environmental engineering, food science and technology, and ecotourism.

After the environmental policy has been signed by the management, the implementation of EMAS, which was divided in 8 tasks, commences. These involve some Objectives like the restoration of as much as possible the autochthonous species in the forests owned by ESAC, the reduction of natural erosion and fire risks.

Part of the team is involved in a study how to implement EMAS at farm level to provide the farms with a suitable and cheap instrument enabling farmers to comply with the requirements of the new CAP aid schemes (regulation 1782/2002).
For more information Contact Escola Superior Agrária de Coimbra – via mail or visit the school’s web site at www.esac.pt

13/12/04

EMAS part of the strategy for the sustainable development of European aquaculture

In a seminar organised by DG Fishery for Aquaculture Federations, director Lea Verstraete announced the Commission's high expectations on EU aquaculture industry to implement EMAS as an instrument to monitor and manage environmental aspects of industrial fish farming.

To encourage the participation of the industry, the Financial Instrument for Fisheries Guidance (FIFG) has been recently amended by Council Regulation 1421/2004, of July 19 th . This amendment of the basic regulation allows, amongst other things, the FIFG to finance

2.2.(c) the initial costs incurred by aquaculture enterprises to join in the Community Eco Management and Audit Scheme set up by Regulation (EC) No 761/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 March 2001 allowing voluntary participation by organisations in a Community Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS), as well as investments in works concerning the installation or improvement of water circulation in aquaculture enterprises and on service vessels shall be eligible;

This positive attitude towards the support of the adhesion of European aquaculture to EMAS will continue, because in its proposal of the new regulation creating the “European Fisheries Fund”, which will replace the FIFG from 2007, the Commission has maintained the support to EMAS in the framework of the aqua-environmental measures.

The fundamental aim of the aquaculture strategy is the maintenance of competitiveness, productivity and durability of the aquaculture sector. The strategy aims to create the conditions that will enable the aquaculture producers to offer a healthy product in the quantities requested by the market, while being environmentally friendly.

The most ambitious objective of the strategy is to increase the total Union 's aquaculture production volume by an average 4% per year.

Aquaculture can thrive only in a clean and safe environment and if sufficient space is allocated to this activity. Thus another objective is related to the solution of the conflicts for space, by developing the application of Integrated Coastal Zone Management planning, and by improving offshore technologies for both fish and mollusc marine aquaculture.

Results from a pilot project in a trout farm and in a sea bass / sea bream farm of the Pizzolo group were presented by Cesare Magugliani and Maurizio Grispan (practical implications). Carla Iandoli (ICRAM – Institute for applied scientific and technological marine research) and Maria Cozzolino (IREPA – Institute for the economic research of fishery and aquaculture) presented scientific results.

16/11/04

EMAS for wine growers

The advanced technical college of Heilbronn ( Germany ) has recently published a 16 page guideline on environmental management in wine production. In seven chapters the authors describe the development of an environmental management system tailor made for wine growers and vintagers. The guideline discusses established procedures and refers to further information such as contacts, literature, legal documents and regulations.

" Modern management is unthinkable without environmental management." This statement of Prof. Gemmrich taken from the preface can be directed to all companies in the wine business which care about sustainable business.

The guideline is available from FH Heilbronn, study course Vine economics, Max-Planck-Str. 39, D-74081 Heilbronn or http://www.wb.fh-heilbronn.de/Webseite_UMS/Downloads.htm .

10/12/03

Empowerment of the Farmer: EMAS could fulfil Cross Compliance Check for Regulation 1782/2003

The German Union for Sustainable Environmental Management (VNU) hosted the world premiere of the film “Power to the Farmer” near Bonn. A well shot and directed semi-documentary on EMAS II, the film compares the established EMAS of an agricultural co-operative to the experiences of a Swabian farmer implementing the management system.

In 42 minutes, the non-expert is confronted with the requirements for registration, takes the environmental review and moves on with data research in night sessions. Every member of the farm family is developing a feeling for the benefits of continual improvement. Doubts return and are overcome, as self-confidence rises. The steps taken are set against the improvements the already registered farm made. In the end, the audience is startled by high technology farming standards like GPS assisted sowing.

Experts believe that EMAS could fulfil the Cross Compliance Checks demanded by Regulation 1782/2003. Additional opinion is gathered, as the checks are coming into force by Jan. 2005. The film and the guideline will be made available on the EMAS website.

For further information on EMAS in Agriculture see www.umweltvorsorge.de or contact Edmund Spindler (Edmund-a.spindler@gmx.de)

11/11/2003

German Guideline for Agriculture published

The Federal Ministry of the Environment has facilitated the publishing of the “Praxisleitfaden zur beständigen Verbesserung der Umweltleistungen von Landwirtschaftsbetrieben“(Guideline to sustainable Improvement of Environmental Performance of Farms).

The 50 pages book enables every farmer to introduce an EMS on any farm – combining both procedures and accounting. The aim is to avoid paper work while focusing on the key tools for the practice.

For downloading contact the coordinator Edmund Spindler (edmund-a.spindler@gmx.de) or see www.umweltvorsorge.de.

17/09/03

Italian Competent Body publishes guidelines for the fishing sector

The Italian EMAS Agency APAT (formerly ANPA) has published a manual for the application of EMAS to the fish farm sector. You can download the document (only available in Italian) from the APAT website.

Also, the European Commission has adopted on 19 September 2002 a Communication entitled “A strategy for the sustainable development of European Aquaculture” (COM(2002)511) which recommends to the aquaculture industry to join the EMAS scheme.