Stakeholder needs analysis towards a new concept for the identification and promotion of best environmental management practices

The European Commission has been identifying and promoting Best Environmental Management Practices (BEMPs) in implementation of a provision of the (EU) Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) Regulation. BEMPs are those actions or techniques resulting in improvements of environmental performance well above common practice that can be implemented by organisations in different sectors. They are identified by the European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC) working in close cooperation with sectoral technical working groups (TWG) on the basis of the actions implemented by frontrunner organisations. They are used, on a voluntary basis, by both EMAS registered organisations and all other organisations interested in improving their environmental performance. This stakeholder need analysis was performed to identify the major improvement opportunities in the development and promotion of BEMPs, by taking into account the main needs and barriers faced by stakeholders, with the goal to develop and validate possible solutions to a future format and approach. On these basis, this stakeholder need analysis provides information on the main barriers and needs faced by organisations in the improvement of environmental performance and identifies an interactive web-tool with sectoral specific content and features as the recommended format and approach for both developing and promoting BEMPs, as well as continuing to make available a report with detailed information about the best environmental practices.