Small and medium-sized organisations which are overstrained with the implementation of an EMS should be given assistance. One possibility for this organisations is to implement some kind of pre-stage of an EMS or an EMS with lower standards.

Of course these pre-stages and lower standards are not comparable with the high standards of the international EMS standards, but they are much easier to implement. Those first steps in an environmental engagement are a good base for organisations to get an approach to high standard EMS like EMAS or ISO 14.001 in later times.

There are existing no pan-European specifications and programs for implementing pre-stages and lower EMS standards in small and medium-sized organisations. But there are existing a number of national schemes which are dealing with this issue.

In the following section you can find an assortment of innovative national schemes.