We are therefore proud that our commitment to sustainability has been recognised through the EU Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) registration, which was obtained in February of this year. EMAS is recognised across Europe as the highest and most robust level of certification for environmental management. 

Europol’s EMAS registration follows the award of an ISO 14001 certification in November 2021 for the Environmental Management System in place and in recognition of our commitment for reducing our impact on the local and wider environment.  Europol employs over 1 400 people at two sites in The Hague, the Netherlands.

Europol is the first Justice and Home Affairs EU Agency to receive both the ISO 14001 certification and EMAS registration, paving the way to sustainability for other EU Agencies.

Europol’s Executive Director Catherine de Bolle said:


We are proud to be awarded the EMAS seal of approval. This achievement is attributable to Europol-wide efforts and acknowledges our ongoing commitment to mitigating the environmental impact of work in making Europe safer.


What is EMAS? 

The European Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) is a management instrument developed by the European Commission that provides environmentally conscious organisations with the tools they need to manage the challenges of climate change and environmental protection.

Europol has taken an environmentally responsible approach to operating for many years. Since 2018, we have successfully implemented an Environmental Management System in accordance with the EMAS Regulation.

EMAS and its four key principles - Plan, Do, Check and Act - help us to get an overview of what each part of our organisation is doing to become more sustainable.

Green milestones

In 2020:


Europol’s carbon footprint was reduced by 82.3% compared to the 2018 baseline year which was partly due to the COVID-19 pandemic;
Total water consumption fell by 45% compared to 2018 as a result of improvement action and less people being in the building;
Total paper consumption fell by 21.8% compared to 2018 as a result of eco-friendly printer settings and teleworking;
Total waste production was reduced by 17% compared to 2018.


Environmental Statement 

We are continuously measuring, managing and improving our environmental impact (energy, waste, water use etc.) and actions to reduce them. Our first Environmental Statement is publicly available and presents our environmental performance for 2020 in the areas of: 


electricity use;
energy for heating;
water consumption;
paper consumption;
waste generation;
CO2 emissions from business travel.


Read Europol’s Environmental Statement 2021.

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