The EMAS logo is the outward sign that a company or an organisation meets the requirements of the European EMAS Regulation. EMAS is in this sense also a communication and marketing tool. To strengthen the role of EMAS further, the logo should find regular use.
How the logo may be used is described in the EMAS Regulation and in the User Manual (user's guide) of the European Commission. A more comprehensive overview provides the "EMAS logo guide” by the German EMAS Advisory Board.
The following FAQ shall give you a first overview on the main requirements for the use of the EMAS logo. The answers do not claim to be exhaustive.
Who is allowed to use the EMAS logo?
- The logo with registration number may only be used by EMAS registered organisations during the period of registration.
- The logo must always include the registration number in order to allow the identification of the EMAS registered organisation in question.
- Organisations may only use the EMAS logo for their EMAS registered sites. If an organisation has not implemented EMAS at all its sites, it must always be clear that the logo refers to the EMAS registered sites only.
- The logo without a registration number may be used by "stakeholders" for the marketing of EMAS in general. These "stakeholders" include registries (in Germany, the Chambers of Commerce and Industry and the Chambers of Crafts), the Accreditation and Licensing Bodies for Environmental Verifiers (in Germany the DAU Bonn GmbH) and the authorities. This also includes pictures of the logo in media reports (newspapers, Internet, etc.), teaching agents (textbooks etc.) and other uses relevant for the publicity of EMAS.
How can the EMAS logo be used?
The EMAS logo may be used:
- on letterheads or corporate reports
- on documents and in all other media in which the organisation's participation in EMAS is communicated, e.g. on panels, on buildings, on websites, invitations, etc., or in the general corporate advertising.
- on validated environmental statements.
- in the context of environmental information, as far as the information has been confirmed by the environmental verifier, e.g. in the current environmental statement.
- in adverts for products, activities and services in compliance with Article 10 and Annex V of the EMAS Regulation
The EMAS logo may not be used:
- on products or their packaging, in order to avoid any confusion with environmental product labels. On products the EMAS commitment can only be referred to in written text.
- In documents that compare the organisation’s with others’ products, activities and services
- on transport packaging
Who awards the logo?
- The assignment of the registration number and the EMAS logo is the task of the local registration body (in Germany the Chambers of Commerce and Industry (IHK) or the Chambers of crafts (HWK). Here you can find a list of the chambers in charge.
- With the entry into the EMAS register the registration body provides an individual registration number. This number has to be shown along with the logo in order to have a unique reference to the company or organisation. The EMAS logo with registration number can be created by the EMAS organisation in the desired format and language by using the EMAS logo generator (see below).