Romanian Football Federation Scores Big with EMAS Certification
The Romanian Football Federation (Federația Română de Fotbal; FRF) has announced its Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) certification. FRF is now the governing body of football to receive the certification. This achievement marks a significant milestone for the FRF as a partner in the FREE KICKS* project, co-funded by the EU, that addresses circular economy and environmental sustainability within football organisations.
What is EMAS?
EMAS is a voluntary program rewarding organisations based on three key principles:
- Performance: Managing and continuously improving their environmental impact.
- Transparency: Openly sharing environmental information with the public.
- Credibility: Having their environmental management system verified by independent experts, thoroughly.
What does EMAS certification mean?
The Romanian Football Federation has an approved environmental management system to track and reduce its environmental impact. To achieve EMAS certification, FRF completed the following steps: conducted an environmental review, adopted an environmental policy and program, established and implemented an environmental management system, prepared an environmental statement, and finally, secured independent verification by an accredited EMAS verifier.
Why is this a big deal?
- Romania’s First: FRF has a massive influence on fans, clubs and other federations as a national governing body in sport. They are the first federation to obtain EMAS certification.
- Global Leader: Less than 30 of over 4,000 EMAS-certified organisations in the EU are in sports! The Romanian Football Federation is now a global leader in sustainability.
- Economic and Community benefits: EMAS certification has proven to lead to more efficient resource management, cost savings and relationships with the local community.
- Strengthening Environmental Credibility: The FRF has adhered to the sustainable development objectives established through its 2030 Agenda, as evidenced by the obtaining of the ISO 14001 certification in 2023.
To learn more about EMAS click here.
To view the official press release in Romanian click here.
* Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.
#EUFreeKicks
