Environmental Management Systems in Euganean Hills Regional Park

The project started in January 2003 as an initiative of the Euganean Hills Regional Park in collaboration with Padua University and territorial Authorities, and involves five municipalities of the Euganean Thermal Area. The target is to implement five Environmental Management Systems (EMS), one for each municipality concerned, which want to adopt an observing legal prescriptions' Environmental Policy, and commit themselves to introduce measures for an effective and continuous improvement of the environmental performance and to put transparent communication with stakeholders into effect. The programme, proposed to the European Community jointly with other projects of different European partners and co-financed by the European Commission (ERDF Funding), is a pilot scheme set in an IPAM-Toolbox (integrative Protective Area Management), in order to promote the sustainable management of protected areas, and the exchange of good practices. This project is now in its last stage. Its implementation allowed the municipalities involved to provide for the Initial Environmental Analysis study, identify direct and indirect environmental aspects and impacts, check environmental legislative conformity, define an Environmental Policy, implement five EMS, improve stakeholders' environmental awareness through the circulation of the "Environmental Statement" and the meetings organization. Two municipalities became registered EMAS between 2005 and 2006.