The objective of Environment Management and Audit System (EMAS), as the instrument of significant, continuous consumption and production and continuous industry policy, is to promote consistent improvement of organization achievement in the field of environment, by creating and implementing environment management systems in the organizations, systematically, objectively and regularly assessing results of operations of such systems, providing information on achievements in the area of environment, and engaging in an open dialogue with the public and other stakeholders, actively involving employees of the organizations in development of environment management systems and providing appropriate training.
The agency is provided with the status of a recognized accreditation institution in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 1221/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 November 2009 on the voluntary participation by organizations in a Community eco-management and audit scheme (EMAS). The last assessment took place in May 2023. The evaluation results were confirmed at the FALB meeting on April 18, 2024. The next assessment is scheduled for 2026.
In accordance with the Environmental Protection Law, the elements required for registration in the environmental management and audit system are checked and approved by an accredited environmental verifier. LATAK, in accordance with the procedure established by the Cabinet of Ministers, carries out the accreditation of environmental verifiers and supervision of their activities, as well as establishes and maintains a register of accredited environmental verifiers. The competent authority of Latvia in the field of EMAS is the State Environmental Service, which also maintains the EMAS register.
In the process of assessing environmental verifiers in the Latvian National Accreditation System, the LVS EN ISO/IEC 17011 and LVS EN ISO/IEC 17021-1 standards, the EMAS Regulation, the Forum of Accreditation and Licensing Bodies (FALB) guidelines specified in Article 30 of the EMAS Regulation, applicable EA and IAF documents, as well as other applicable regulatory enactments are applied.
The person responsible for EMAS matters at LATAK is Mr. Jānis Čapulis, Lead Assessor and Quality Manager.