Environment and the territory: implementation of environmental management systems based on EMAS regulation at regional level

EMAS Registration (Reg. 761/2001/EC) of Bibione Tourist Resort and of Euganeo Thermal Basin took place to guarantee an efficient management of problems connected to an environmentally critical activity: tourism. Both the initiatives, promoted by the San Michele al Tagliamento Municipality and the Colli Euganei Natural Park Administration, have been carried out with the Centro Studi Qualita Ambiente (Quality and Environmental Studies Centre, University of Padova) technical support and anticipated some novelties introduced by the last revision of the EMAS Regulation (Reg. CE n. 761/2001 EMAS). For the first time problems related to the territorial application of an environmental management system were faced and overcome. The extension to a whole territory, in fact, is the peculiar feature of these two innovative projects: thanks to this solution it became possible to optimise the resources used in area environmental management, still satisfying all the stakeholders´ needs (citizens, business, local authorities, tourists). Early engage of diverse stakeholders (institutional and not) proved to be essential to the success of that kind of challenge. In June 2002 the European Commission awarded the Bibione Tourist Resort as a reference of excellent application of the EMAS Regulation in Europe.