The number of ecolabels in the Basque Country rose by over 10% in 2023, and the number of organisations with an EMAS eco-management system by over 7%

The Community Eco-Management and Audit Scheme is a management instrument that helps organisations to improve their environmental performance, save energy and optimise the use of resources. Furthermore, its website provides an overview of the advantages of EMAS registration, and a space to share and drive effective solutions, along with tackling specific problems, by bridging the gap between existing national, regional and local initiatives.

Among other best practices and political initiatives, the Commission has highlighted Ihobe's latest European Union Eco-label and EMAS Register in the Basque Country, which stresses the synergies between the EU Ecolabel and EMAS:

Consolidated growth in the Basque Country

The evolution of the European Union (EU) Ecolabel in Basque Companies continues to provide encouraging data on its implementation, as can be seen in the 2023 Results Report.

During the last decade, the number of products of Basque companies labelled by this system have risen by 283% and the number certified by 239%. In the same vein, the number of companies registered have increased by 280%. Furthermore, the evolution of the European Environmental Management System (EMAS) in Basque organisations has continued its consolidation and growth, with presence in 14 sectors of activity and a total of 100 registers.

The Ihobe report estimates that the number of eco-labelled products of the BAC in the EU currently accounts for nearly 2.32% of those with the label in Europe overall.

The competent authority in the Basque Autonomous Community (BAC) in this regard is the Basque Government's Ministry of Industry, Energy Transition and Sustainability, supported by Ihobe, which is in charge of processing the applications.

The latest organisation to be certified by the EMAS European Eco-Management and Audit System has been the Ekoetxea Urdaibai centre, belonging to the Basque Network of Environmental Centres managed by Ihobe; the certification recognises the existence of a defined environmental policy in the centre, the use of an environmental management system, and regular accountability reporting on the functioning of that system by means of an environmental statement verified by independent bodies.