ecap - environmental compliance assistance programme for smes

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ECAPEnvironmental Compliance Assistance Programme or SMEs

Small, Clean and Competitive


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Luxembourg : Oice or Oicial Publications o the European Communities, 2008

ISBN 978-92-79-08747-9

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European Commission

Small, Clean and Competitive

Luxembourg: Of ce or Of cial Publications o the European Communities

2008 28 pp. 21 x 21 cm

ISBN 978-92-79-08747-9

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KH-30-08-349-EN-C


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Introduction 2

Better regulation 8

Environmental management 12

Targeted funding 16

Building expertise 22Communication 24

Contents


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I n t r o d u c ti o n


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3

Small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) can

fnd it di cult to meet the requirements o en-

vironmental legislation and take steps to im-

prove their eco-e ciency. The EUs EnvironmentalCompliance Assistance Programme (ECAP) is here

to lend a helping hand, providing the resources,

inormation and tools that Europes entrepreneurs

need to green their operations.

Representing around 99% o all enterprises and

57% o the economic value-added, SMEs ac-

count or a signifcant proportion o economic

activity in the EU. This means that although

individual businesses may have a small impact

on the environment, the combined eect o

their activities is considerable. It is important

thereore that, i progress is to be made, eorts

to address environmental problems includeSMEs.

Tricky situation

However, many SMEs across Europe are un-

aware o the impact their operations have on

the environment, or the legislation that ap-

plies to them. There are a number o reasons

or this.

SMEs o the uture:cleaner and more competitive

I n t r o duct io n

Smal l , C lean and Compet it ive

Eco-innovation an opportunity

The Scottish company Windsave has developed a small wind turbine generator system which uses lowwind speeds to create electricity, and which is designed to be mounted on almost any building, oering

both fnancial and environmental rewards to its users.

The turbine is the frst worldwide low-cost product that delivers electricity directly into homes and other

buildings merely by plugging the supply into the wall socket.

The system uses wind speed to create environmentally riendly electricity and acts as the frst sourceo power, thus reducing the amount o electricity that needs to be drawn rom the national grid and,

subsequently, the amount o CO2

emitted. For domestic and charitable users, the product costs 1 898 and

oers an annual saving on energy bills o around 200. This means that the turbine system should pay or

itsel in a ew years.

Widespread uptake amongst public services, such as schools, could have a signifcant impact on CO2

emission levels.


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4


I n t r o duct io n

First, smaller businesses generally lack the

dedicated resources and expertise to devote

to environmental or legal issues. They tend to

have shorter planning times and less access

to capital than larger ones, meaning upront

investments in eco-technology make less eco-

nomic sense or are beyond their reach. Also,

there are limited market incentives or recogni-

tion or environmentally riendly behaviour atpresent.

In addition, SMEs are oten below the thresh-

old or many o the EUs environmental

schemes and legislation, such as the emis-

sions trading scheme, the main EU action on

Greener meals on wheels

Sotral is an Italian SME that delivers meals to schools, hospitals and the armed orces. To comply with hygiene

and environmental requirements, it is vital that the ood arrives on time and at the correct temperature.

Using the Environmental Product Declaration system, the company analysed the environmental impact o

its business and made improvements. By equating environmental e ciency with economic e ciency, andcutting their use o fnancial and natural resources, Sotral was able to reduce the CO

2produced or each

transported meal whilst boosting its turnover.Changes such as switching to an alternative, cheaper uel like methane demonstrated that environmental

considerations can have a positive commercial eect as well. Employees were also encouraged to approach

business in a more responsible and sustainable way.

Sotral shows that action to improve a companys environmental impact does not have to harm its proftability.

Indeed, the reverse is true its turnover rose by more than 15% in 2005 and by 25% in 2006, with a continuing

upward trend expected in 2007. Following a Lie Cycle Assessment, the company has even gone on to create

a new ecological catering unit to extend the good work.


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I n t r o duct io n


climate change, or the Integrated Pollution

Prevention and Control Directive (IPPC) con-

trolling industrial pollution.

Improved environmental behaviour by com-

panies is usually driven by the need to meet

regulations and enorcement o the rules by

authorities. However, actions such as inspec-

tions are insu cient to ensure complianceand rarely produce more permanent change

in behaviour among SMEs.

These actors mean that SMEs may be missing

out on the signifcant benefts that greening

their operations can bring. Better environmen-

tal management can cut costs, or instance, by

improving energy and resource e ciency. It

can also make conditions healthier and saer

or workers by reducing exposure to chemicals

or air pollution.

THE ECAP PROGRAMME

Adopted in October 2007, the Environmental Compliance Assistance Programme (ECAP) provides aramework to help small and medium-sized companies implement European environmental legislation and

minimise the environmental impacts o their activities.

Actions are planned for:

Better regulation in the design and implementation o policies to minimise the administrative burden o

compliance on SMEs. The European Commission is examining all Community legislation to identiy whereit can cut unnecessary costs or reduce the administrative burden. It is also working with implementation

authorities and seeking to involve the SME sector more closely when making new policies.

Developing more accessible tailor-made environmental management schemes to integrate environ-mental concerns into SMEs core business activities in a coherent and cost-eective way.

Focused fnancial assistance to promote and support initiatives by public authorities or business supportnetworks aiming at sustainable production in SMEs.

Building local environmental expertise or SMEs to overcome the lack o know-how at company level.

Improved communication and targeted inormation. The ECAP website is already on-line and a series o

urther inormation tools are planned.


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I n t r o duct io n


Environmental management

Firms can introduce better environmental management through several initiatives, such as the Eco-

Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS), Lie Cycle Assessment and Corporate Social Responsibility.

Greener products

Several Union policies aim to encourage greener products. Green Public Procurement (GPP) means public

authorities can set environmental criteria when buying products or services.

The EU Eco-label makes it easy or consumers to identiy environmentally riendly products.

Integrated Product Policy (IPP) looks at all the environmental impacts resulting rom each phase o a

products lie cycle. For electrical and electronic devices, the Energy Using Products (EuP) Directive sets rules

on eco-design, while the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) and Restriction o Hazardous

Substances (RoHS) Directives cover the materials that can be used in electrical and electronic equipment

and how they are treated once they become waste. The End o Lie Vehicles (ELV) Directive does the sameor scrap road vehicles.

Waste

There are a number o pieces o EU legislation on dierent aspects o waste and its management. Businesses

must ensure that the waste they produce is treated in an e cient, sae and environmentally riendly way and pay or the costs o treatment. Specifc legislation covers packaging, vehicles, batteries, oils, electricalequipment, ood waste, hazardous waste and shipments o waste.

Water

EU legislation aims to minimise pollution and improve the quality o Europes drinking water, rivers, lakes

and seas. Directives control emissions rom specifc industrial and agricultural sectors, urban waste water

and dangerous substances.

Soil

Several individual pieces o legislation cover discharges into soil. They include rules on the biodegradability

o detergents, persistent organic pollutants, nitrates and mercury.

Specifc sectors whose activities impact soil are also covered by legislation, such as waste

landfll, extractive industries and agriculture. Future action to protect soil is laid out inthe European Commissions Thematic Strategy on soil, which was released in 2006.

Since national laws must be put into place to meet central EU legislation, rules may vary

rom country to country.


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SMEs can fnd environmental legislation com-

plex and di cult to understand, and in gen-

eral, the smaller the company, the harder

it is. In uture, legislation needs to take account

o these di culties. Requirements can be betterdefned and procedures made simpler in order toachieve the same environmental objectives with

less red tape, and at less cost.

The frst step towards this better regulation is

in the actual ormulation and operation o the

legislation itsel. The European Commission

and national governments are working togeth-

er to design all their legislation in such a waythat the administrative burden is minimised.

Company resources can then be ocused on ac-

tually improving environmental perormance

and compliance, as opposed to expending

them on administrative ormalities.

Simplifcation

The Commission is currently examining all EUlegislation to see where it can cut unneces-sary administration and costs as regards theinormation it requires rom SMEs.

Jos Manuel Barroso, the EU CommissionPresident, has vowed to restrict Unionlegislation to what is absolutely necessaryto achieve our stated objectives. The aimo the programme, which he launched in2007, is to cut the administration burden on

companies by 25% by 2012. A Commissionreport on the irst year o the drive towardssimpliication estimated that savings o500 million have already been made, withover 300 legal acts axed. The process is set

to intensiy in coming years.

Cutting red tape

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Bette r r egul at io n


Bavaria: agreeing to improve

The Bavarian Environmental Agreement gives incentives to SMEs who take action to improve theenvironmental impacts o their businesses, going beyond actions required by law. The system is based onagreements between SMEs and public authorities, under which businesses can receive fnancial assistance

or are relieved o some administrative obligations i they improve their environmental record beyond

simply complying with legislation. Evaluations are carried out regularly to ensure that objectives are being

achieved.

An important element is that SMEs receive subsidies to introduce environmental management systems,

such as the EUs Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS), through which environmental perormanceis continuously monitored. Companies gain relie rom certain administrative requirements, such as

monitoring and reporting emissions and waste, or inspection o installations under German Water Law.


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The Netherlands: one permit fts all

The Dutch Environment Ministry (VROM) has simplifed its procedures by consolidating its permitrequirements into a single ramework. Around 25 dierent types o permit have been reduced to one.

The initiative unites a range o permits issued by VROM, including those or Integrated Pollution Prevention

and Control (IPPC), building, spatial planning and other aspects o air quality protection. In addition, the

new permit extends to areas that all under the remit o other ministries, including water, monuments and

nature protection.

The new system also provides a simpler web-based application orm which allows applicants to complete

only those sections that are directly relevant to them.

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At a national level, costs can be cut by avoiding

duplicate requests, using IT solutions to share

common inormation and simpliying the way

it has to be presented. Permit procedures

can be streamlined and options should also

be explored, such as making one-stop shops

or businesses to apply or permits and other

regulatory procedures.

Learning rom best practices is also important.

A study into the most eective support ac-

tions to improve the implementation o envi-

ronmental regulation has already been done,

with 76 successul actions rom 24 countries.

Knowledge o these examples will be dissemi-

nated more widely throughout the EU.


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IMPEL: ENFORCING TOGETHER

In operation since 1992, IMPEL (The European Union Network or the Implementation and Enorcement o

Environmental Law) is an inormal network o European environmental authorities which work together to

improve the application o legislation.Amongst the networks priorities, international collaboration through the network ocuses on theexchange o inormation in the implementation and enorcement o EU environmental rules, inspection

activities, and it is engaged in better legislation issues.

Improved enorcement

Environmental authorities across Europe col-

laborate through the IMPEL network (see box),

and the Commission will continue to work

with this network to improve the enorcement

o environmental laws. In particular, IMPEL will

contribute to the revision o current guide-lines on criteria or environmental inspections,

using its practical experience o SMEs needs

and constraints.

Many problems with the implementation o

legislation can be avoided through the greater

involvement o SME stakeholders in the policy-

making process both when policies are frst

proposed and then when they are put into

practice. The Commission will seek closer con-

sultation when drawing up and implementing

new legislation, and has recently strength-ened its guidelines or impact assessments o

policy options and existing legislation to take

greater account o SMEs.


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Businesses can dramatically improve their en-

vironmental perormances in a cost-eective

way through the adoption o environmentalmanagement systems, such as the EUs Eco-Man-

agement and Audit Scheme (EMAS). Developingmade-to-measure systems will increase their up-

take by SMEs.

Environmental Management Systems (EMS)

establish a ramework or organisations to

evaluate and report their environmental im-

pacts, and then to plan a course o action to

make improvements accordingly.

Adopting a reputable EMS ensures that com-panies comply with legislation, as well as

bringing added e ciency and cost savings

to operations. Experience shows that they

have a much more positive inuence on a

companys environmental engagement than

inspections or compliance checks, and bring

much greater benefts in terms o e ciency

gains. The European Eco-Management and Audit

Scheme (EMAS, see box) is the environmental

management system developed by the EU. The

scheme is now under revision in order to make

it more robust and reliable, in terms o both

environmental perormance and legal compli-

ance, and to make it easier to apply or SMEs.

Several other systems have been developed in

recent years, either to address the needs o a

specifc business sector, or individual environ-

mental issues.For regulating authorities, the management

systems can act as a guarantee that companies

are meeting their legal requirements, while

greater acceptance o a certifed EMS, such as

the EMAS scheme, is a reliable alternative to

compliance checks or inspections, and cuts

administration requirements or businesses.

Tailor-made environmentalmanagement schemes

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E nv i r o nm enta l m anagem ent



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Developing solutions

ECAP is taking a series o actions aimed

making environmental management systems

more accessible or SMEs. The Commission will

promote the uptake o EMAS by clusters o

SMEs working together, encouraging the use

o public-private partnerships to do so. This

should reduce auditing and consulting costs

or individual frms and ease the exchange o

inormation between dierent organisations.

It will also mean that companies working to-

gether can adopt a coherent environmental

policy.

MAPPING A COMPANYS GREEN CREDENTIALS

The EUs Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) is an environmental management tool to help

companies and other organisations to evaluate, report and improve their environmental perormance.

To obtain EMAS certifcation, an organisation must conduct a thorough environmental review o all its

activities, establish an environmental management system based on this review, and produce regular

audits and statements o environmental perormance.

EMAS registration ensures that a company is in compliance with EU environmental legislation and avoids

fnes. Businesses can identiy how to make their processes more eco-e cient and so make costs savings.And it helps prevent the need or costly clean-ups.

MAKING IT EASIER

EMAS can be a sophisticated and complex system to set up and run. The EMAS Easy tool is a project to buildcapacity in the EUs Member States and candidate countries or the implementation o the management

and auditing schemes in SMEs.

It uses a process known as Ecomapping to pinpoint issues o environmental concern on a simplifed map o

the production acilities. The results o the mapping exercise are used to complete ten simple orms devised

specifcally to ensure compliance with EMAS requirements.EMAS Easy national pilot projects began in December 2004 and are planned to cover all Member States

by 2009. The pilots aim to train fve national experts and ten SMEs to use the system. The best-perorming

enterprises have been awarded EMAS certifcation. The completed projects successully demonstrated that it

is perectly possible to implement the EMAS scheme in very small organisations.

More information:

EMAS: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/emas/about/summary_en.htmEMAS Easy: http://www.emas-easy.eu/


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Cleaner printing

The CREW printing company was one o the frst Hungarian companies to achieve EMAS certifcation,in 2005. The company which employs 33 people worked with the Kvet, the Hungarian Association or

Environmentally Aware Management, and used the EMAS Easy tool to eco-map issues o environmental

concern. The storage o hazardous materials and waste, energy consumption, noise, and paper waste were

areas ound to be requiring action.

An action programme was put into place or 2005-2006 to deal with the problems identifed. The frst year

saw some dramatic improvements hazardous waste per tonne o print produced decreased by 40%, paperwaste by 40%, water consumption by 45% and energy consumption by 55%.

More inormation:http://ec.europa.eu/environment/sme/cases/cases10_en.htm

Tools, such as EMAS Easy (see case study),

already exist or the implementation o EMAS

within SMEs. These will be urther developed

and applied on a larger scale with projects in

all EU Member States. A pilot phase o EMAS

Easy has already been run in new Member

States and showed that ull EMAS registration

is easible, even in the smallest companies.

This revision will also reduce the administra-

tive burden o EMAS, which will be particularly

benefcial or SMEs. EMAS should be made

more accessible, more understandable and

more eective, with less red tape but the same

high standards.

Improving the visibility o the scheme through

promotion activities by the Commission and

Member States is also a priority. Greater aware-ness will make this a more valuable marketing

instrument or registered businesses.


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Targeted fu n d i n g


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Enterprises need fnancial incentives and sup-

port in order to adopt or develop the most

innovative environmental technologies andbusiness practices. Specifc unding is allocated

or SMEs and the environment under various EUmechanisms or the 2007-13 period.

Companies that adopt the most innovative en-

vironmental technologies and business prac-

tices can rapidly improve their environmental

perormances and compliance. However,

SMEs oten need fnancial incentives and sup-

port in order to innovate as they have limited

scope to make investments in environmentaltechnologies, and requently require extra

support to be able to participate in joint

research programmes.

A number o EU instruments are available to

help SMEs comply with legislation, make more

eco-riendly products, use cleaner technology,

save energy or take part in research projects

(see box or an explanation o the instruments).Although these are Community mechanisms,

national and regional authorities oten man-

age and allocate unds.

The LIFE+ Programme, the EUs main fnan-

cial instrument or environmental projects,

includes in its priorities support or projects on

environmental compliance assistance meas-

ures or SMEs in the 2007-13 period. Actions

include, or instance, the creation o cluster

coordination bodies or EMAS registration,regional compliance assistance programmes

to oer SMEs environmental audits and guid-

ance, sector-specifc inormation initiatives, or

training o business support networks.

Structural Funding

The new Cohesion Policy instruments pro-

vide substantial unding or Member States

Focused fnancing

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Targete d fu ndin g



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Targete d fu ndin g

An EcoStep in the right direction

EcoStep is an all-in-one, integrated environmental, quality and labour protection management system

designed or SMEs. For a modest additional cost, it also helps enterprises to qualiy or EMAS, the EU Eco-Management Audit Scheme (see box on page 14).

The new system will generate both economic and environmental benefts by reducing resource

consumption and optimising business processes. It will also raise awareness o environmental and labour

protection issues.

The EU-unded project seeks to make EcoStep a standard system or SMEs across Europe. A modifed version,EcoStep Viniculture, has been developed or small-scale grape growers.

EcoStep employs a novel fnancing scheme known as management contracting. This means that its

implementation costs are unded by the savings accrued rom implementing the scheme.

The system was developed by the Hessen State Ministry or the Environment, Rural Areas and Consumer

Protection. It is unded by the EUs LIFE programme which is the Unions main unding mechanism to ensure

environmental policies are put into practice.

More inormation:

http://www.umwelt-unternehmen.bremen.de/Ecostep.html

or investments in environmental protection,

especially or SMEs. A large part o the envir-

onmental unding or SMEs will come rom the

Structural Funds, particularly the European

Regional Development Fund, the Cohesion

Fund and the new European Social Fund.

Environmental investments have been identi-

fed as one o the main sectors or support

under JEREMIE (Joint European Resources

for Micro to Medium Enterprises).

This instrument, which began operat-

ing in 2007, allows Member States to use


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Targete d fu ndin g


Paving the way to greener asphalt

Producing asphalt is dirty and energy guzzling. Conventional plants churn out vast amounts o asphalt-

coated products in order to ensure their own commercial viability. However, this is wasteul, particularly

when product recipes are changed. Wastage also occurs owing to di culties in matching the various

elements o the process, while the inability to modulate burners and dryers eectively consumes a lot oenergy unnecessarily.

Smaller, more localised batch-heater plants overcome some o the problems connected to conventional

acilities, namely that they produce smaller batches o a wide range o products nearer the markets they are

destined or, thereby reducing the plants environmental ootprint. Nevertheless, even these acilities arehighly polluting.

One demonstration project unded by the EUs LIFE programme managed to come up with a plant that

used 75% less electricity and 30% less gas and uel oil. Mixlance REF also slashed particulate emissions to

below 10 mg/m3 (less than a fth o the UKs new legal limit). In addition, the project managed to boost the

amount o recycled materials used in the production process by 50%.

More inormation:

http://www.mixlance.com/LIFE/

Structural Funds to set up (regional) fnancial

instruments or SMEs, including advisory and

technical assistance, equity and venture capi-

tal, and guarantees.

Under state aid guidelines, Member States

can grant transitional investment aid to help

SMEs adapt to EU environmental standards

not yet in orce. They allow aid or investments

in energy saving and or waste management,

along with other initiatives.

SMEs can also beneft rom EU programmes to

encourage research and innovation. They will

be the main benefciaries, either directly or

indirectly, o the Unions Competitiveness

and Innovation Programme (CIP). Part o the

programme ocuses specifcally on entrepre-

neurship and innovation granting access to

fnance or the start-up and growth o SMEs.

The EUs Seventh Framework Programme

for Research (FP7), its main unding pro-

gramme or research, also prioritises envir-onmental projects and encourages SMEs to

participate.


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Targete d fu ndin g

CLEANAIR

This Norwegian project brought together SMEs and

the National Institute o Technology in Norway to

research technology to enhance air quality in urban

areas. The initiative, co-unded by the EuropeanUnion through the FP5 programme, successully

developed two pieces o innovative equipment

to remove tiny particles rom domestic chimney

emissions. The frst was a dust-removal system or domesticsolid uel burners, with an e ciency level o over 90%.

The second was the creation o a miniaturised high-

voltage supply unit or the system; this proved to be

the greater challenge o the two.

In addition to the innovative technology developed,

the participating SMEs gained experience indeveloping a network and will be able to collaborate

in the uture.


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Targete d fu ndin g


TAPPING EU FINANCIAL SOURCES

Various European Union fnancial instruments provide unding or environment-related projects andinitiatives. Below is a selection o the available opportunities:

LIFE+

LIFE+ is the EUs main unding mechanism to ensure the implementation o environmental policies between

2007-2013. Companies apply directly to the EU or grants.

SMEs have been signifcant benefciaries in previous LIFE programmes. For instance, some 30 million

were assigned in 2003-2004 to developing innovative techniques in businesses through demonstrationprojects.

Structural and Cohesion Funds

There are a number o unds allocated by the European Union to support less-developed regions (Structural

Funds) and to help develop European inrastructure (Cohesion Funds). They account or a large part o totalEU unding and spending.

Both mechanisms, in particular the Structural Funds, allow or substantial investments in environmental

protection. Most o this unding is allocated and distributed by regional and local authorities.

JEREMIE

Introduced as part o the Cohesion Funds (2007-2013), the Joint European Resources or Micro to MediumEnterprises (JEREMIE) programme allows Member States to set up fnancial instruments or SMEs at regional

level. Environmental initiatives have been identifed as a priority. The European Commission, the European

Investment Bank and the European Investment Fund together provide the unds.

Competitiveness and Innovation Programme (CIP)

The CIP (2007-2013) puts a strong emphasis on SMEs. Some 430 million is allocated or investments in eco-innovation activities. The Intelligent Energy Europe (IEE) sub-programme includes 727 million or energy

e ciency and renewable energy projects.

Seventh Framework Programme for Research (FP7)

FP7 (2007-2013) has an entire theme under its Co-operation programme dedicated to

the environment. SMEs are actively encouraged to enter and orm consortia to apply or

FP7 unding.


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Where can SMEs go when they have ques-

tions about environmental legislation

and the opportunities available or theirbusinesses? In collaboration with existing support

organisations, the Commission is working to es-

tablish a network o experts spread across the EU

to advise businesses.

Without the luxury o in-house legal or environ-mental sta, SMEs need to have access to out-side expertise. The Commission is building up anetwork o environmental experts in business-support organisations throughout the EU.

These advisors can tell companies what theirlegal requirements are and what beneftsthey will gain rom eorts to improve sustain-ability. They can also help develop partner-ships between businesses and enable SMEsto access support programmes and undingopportunities.

They will work proactively with SMEs to explainthe existing or new environmental legislationthat aects them, using the most eectivemeans, including on-site visits, websites, news-letters, and seminars, to raise awareness aboutenvironmental impacts and the benefts o aproper environmental management system.

Building the network

Work to create the network began in 2007, witha series o capacity-building seminars aroundEurope. The audience comprised business-support organisations, such as local businessassociations whether organised by district orsector or chambers o commerce.

The workshops presented both the legal re-quirements and the benefts o improved envir-onmental perormance. One training module

concentrates on how to provide assistance toSMEs a reactive approach whilst a secondgives training on a more proactive approach toinvolving SMEs in environment policy beyondcompliance. The training modules are availableon the ECAP website.

Building expertise

Smal l Clean and Compet it ive


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B u i l d i n g e x p e r t i s e


EUROPES COMPETITIVENESS AND INNOVATION GATEWAY

Under the slogan business support at your doorstep, the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) is the gateway

to the EUs massive single market or SMEs across Europe and beyond.

With over 600 partner organisations and 4000 experts in 40 countries, the EEN oers SMEs both local

knowledge and European expertise. It is a one-stop shop support network or enterprises seeking assistancewith business and innovation issues in the EU.

When it comes to the environment, the network provides expert support in such areas as green businesspractice, sustainability, eco-innovation, locating business partners in other countries, complying with EU

environmental regulations, and pursuing unding opportunities.

The network also works to improve the relationship between the European Commission and business.Network representatives provide the EU executive with regular eedback on European policy, the di culties

SMEs ace operating in the Single Market, and the eectiveness o the European programmes. All this helps

shape EU legislation into something more business-riendly and better able to stimulate uture growth and

competitiveness.

The network is a major component o the EUs Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme (EIP), one othe three sub-programmes o the 2007-2013 Competitiveness and Innovation Programme (CIP).

Although the EEN brand name is new, the network itsel is not. It merges two highly successul networks the

Innovation Relay Centre (IRC) and the Euro Ino Centres (EIC) networks to provide broader geographical

coverage and a wider range o service in order to ulfl its no wrong door operation motto. This means that

whatever EU-related support an SME is seeking, it should be able to fnd it in its local EEN branch.

More information:

http://www.enterprise-europe-network.ec.europa.eu/

The events generated considerable interestand were well attended by a range o organi-sations that work with SMEs. Feedback romparticipants stressed the practical nature o theinormation and case studies used. Many alsoappreciated that the event brought the mainsupport organisations together or the frsttime to start dialogue and build up a network.

A core part o the support will come rom thenew EU-wide business-support service that waslaunched at the start o 2008 the EnterpriseEurope Network (see box). The network in-tegrates the services previously provided bytwo organisations: the Euro Ino Centres (EIC)Network and the Innovation Relay Centres(IRCs).


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Better inormation can help tackle the

general lack o awareness among SMEs

concerning environmental issues. So, ECAP

is developing a series o targeted inormation

tools to improve the situation.

Surveys rom around the EU show that there is

general lack o awareness among SMEs about

environmental issues, and where knowledge

does exist, it is generally limited to concern

about saety or individual environmental

hazards.

Research rom national authorities ound

that some 70% o French SMEs admittedto having little or no inormation about EU

environmental support tools such as environ-

mental management systems, energy-saving

measures or what fscal incentives might be

available to them. In the UK, 95% o SMEs

said that they would like more inormation onenvironmental matters.

ECAP aims to improve the situation by making

inormation accessible and easy to understand.

The programme website, available in seven

languages, is the contact point and inorma-

tion hub or support networks on environmen-

tal policy and SMEs (see page 27). It acts as a

portal to the ECAP helpdesk which providesinormation or support organisations.

Getting the message across

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Guiding SMEs through the environmental wilderness

SMEs oten lack the know-how and expertise to improve their environmental perormance and to comply

with environmental legislation. In the UK, the countrys regional environmental regulators team runs the

NetRegs on-line service (www.netregs.gov.uk).

The portal provides British enterprises with ree guidance to the ins and outs o environmental regulations

in dierent parts o the UK and provides tips on how SMEs can reduce their environmental ootprint, andsave money in the process.

The user-riendly guide oers inormation by business sector and environmental topic. It also explains key

EU legislation transposed into national law, such as the recent Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation oChemicals (REACH) Regulation. The site hosts an extensive library o useul links, too.

An area o special attention at present concerns waste in the building sector. The Site waste its criminal

campaign encourages construction companies to learn more about the importance and benefts o site

waste-management plans.



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p

Co m m unicat io n

A big plus or the environment

Since 1994, PBE+ has been working to build a critical mass among SMEs in Brittany (FR) on the environmental

ront by helping them to network and share experience and know-how. It seeks to raise their awareness o

the environmental impacts o industrial activity. The initiative also promotes environmental management

systems and cleaner, greener technologies and remediation.

Run by the Brittany Regional Council and other local authorities, this initiative oers hands-on assistanceto SMEs to carry out their own environmental sel-diagnoses. Support includes ree two-day training sessions

and tailored advice (on environmental legislation, ISO 14001 or clean technologies, etc.). Larger events are

held regularly to inorm SMEs about legislation and technical schemes to prevent industrial pollution.

PBE+ has been a major success. Over 2000 company representatives have taken part in training sessions

and more than 800 environmental sel-diagnoses have been undertaken by SMEs.

http://www.perormance-bretagne.net/index.php

As well as providing details o expert contacts

throughout the EU, the website gives inorma-

tion on the implementation o existing and

orthcoming environmental legislation, avail-

able environmental management tools and

unding opportunities.

It also provides a selection o good practices,

links to national initiatives and tool kits to help

SMEs. Further tool kits will be available in theuture.

A monthly ECAP e-alert and newsletter pro-

duced three times per year give updates on

the latest developments in the programme

and issues on SMEs and the environment.



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27

Co m m unicat io n

ON THE WEB

http://ec.europa.eu/environment/sme

The dedicated ECAP website contains the

inormation that small and medium-sized en-

terprises (SMEs) need in order to address the

environmental impacts o their activities and

meet legal requirements.

The site gives straightorward inormation inseven languages on legislation, and tells busi-

nesses how they can take action and where to

fnd support or access to expertise.

The website gives details of:

The ECAP programme and how it works

News and developments on SMEs and the

environment

Which areas o EU and national environ-

mental legislation are relevant or SMEs and

where to fnd more inormation

Funding opportunities that exist across the

EU or businesses to improve their environ-

mental perormances

Case studies o successul actions

Details o ECAP training seminars around

Europe

Contact details or local environmental

experts and support organisations around

Europe

On-line tool kits.


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MORE INFORMATION:

There are numerous on-line sources with more information about SMEs and theenvironment.The following EU sites may be useful:

The ECAP programme website (available in seven languages):http://ec.europa.eu/environment/sme

The Enterprise Europe Network:

http://www.enterprise-europe-network.ec.europa.euThe European Portal for SMEs (available in 21 languages):http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/sme

LIFE+ (the Financial Instrument for the Environment):http://ec.europa.eu/environment/life

Information on SMEs and the Seventh Framework Programme for Research (FP7):http://ec.europa.eu/research/sme-techweb/index_en.cfm

Eco-innovation and the EUs Competitiveness and Innovation Programme:http://ec.europa.eu/environment/etap/ecoinnovation

JEREMIE:http://www.eif.org/jeremie/

Frequently asked questions on EU environment policies:http://ec.europa.eu/environment/faqs.htm

ECAP glossary:http://ec.europa.eu/environment/sme/glossary/glossary_en.htm

Multilingual environmental glossary of the European Environment Agency:http://glossary.eea.europa.eu/

European Union Network for the Implementation and Enforcement ofEnvironmental Law:http://ec.europa.eu/environment/impel/index.htm

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ecap - environmental compliance assistance programme for smes

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