Some experts estimate that the costs of ISO 14000 certification could be as much as a third higher than those for ISO 9000, due to the complexity of the ISO 14000 standard and the lack of qualified people.

ISO 14001 provides for self certification.

In April 1997 four Brazilian companies obtained ISO 14001 certification and eight Brazilian companies were about to be ISO 14000 certified, while 50 companies had adopted EMS that are quot ISO 14000 compatible quot .CBI News Bulletin, June 1997, Centre for the Promotion of Imports from developing countries, Rotterdam, Netherlands.

ISO 14001 has contributed significantly to the development of an EMS certification industry.

In a 1996 survey, 51 per cent of companies expressed an interest in ISO 14001 certification.

The costs of certification carried out by local ISO registrars in developing countries tend to be much lower.A. Davie, quot ISO 14001 Issues for Developing Countries quot , in Christopher Sheldon (ed.), op. cit..

In Argentina, ten firms had obtained ISO 14001 certification by 31 March 1997.

For widespread confidence in ISO 14001 certification, each country will need to have a rigorous and reliable mechanism to support accreditation of certification bodies and provide assurance that certification is done rigorously and fairly.

Certification issues have a considerable bearing on the ability of ISO 14001 to act as a barrier to trade.

The international value of ISO 14001 certification, however, depends on the confidence that others have in the body that performs the certification and in the process it uses.

Two elements are important in determining the costs of participation in the ISO 14000 certification standard (a) the incremental costs in meeting the requirements of an EMS like ISO 14001 (e.g. setting up and maintaining an EMS, hiring consultants, meeting company determined performance goals) and (b) costs of certification and registration to ISO 14001.

6. Experts stressed that certification and accreditation should be fair and rigorous to safeguard the credibility of the ISO 14001 certificate.

Experience with ISO 9000 shows that the absence of the necessary infrastructure in developing countries reduces the chances of achieving certification.

ISO 14001 may act as a non tariff barrier to trade if certification is costly or difficult to achieve.

It is hoped that work on conformity assessment for EMS should result in internationally harmonized accreditation systems for EMS certification bodies, which will support universal recognition of ISO certifications.

Reasons for companies to certify to ISO 14001

The ISO 14001 standard may result in a de facto barrier to trade if companies have difficulties in obtaining certification.

Finally, demands by customers and importers in developed country markets need not go as far as requesting ISO 14001 certification.

Pilot schemes provide opportunities for mutual learning by the local certification bodies and firms in interpreting the requirements of ISO 14001.

Thirdly, many developing country firms wanting to participate in ISO 14000 tend to depend largely on consultancy services provided by developed countries, and the success of ISO 14000 registration with local certification bodies in developing countries will depend largely on the acceptability of such certification in the importing country.

Reasons for SMEs certifying to ISO 14001

By April 1997, four companies had been certified to ISO 14001.

Worldwide, there are over 127,000 firms certified to ISO 9000, but 41 per cent of these are in the United Kingdom and 8 per cent in the United States.There is no official central record of organizations certified to ISO 9000.

The Committee aims to take into account international standards in order to facilitate mutual recognition. So far, eight Chinese companies have receive ISO 14001 certification.Dr. Ye Ruqiu, NEPA, China, personal communication, 1997.

Fifty six companies in the chemical, electronics, cement and construction sectors have acquired ISO 14001 certificates, and a significant number of companies (mostly large ones) are preparing for certification.

Trade considerations play an important role in the implementation of ISO 14001 and the establishment of certification facilities in developing countries.

However, ISO 14001 certification by itself does not ensure continuous compliance with environmental legislation.

NEPA has developed pilot programmes for ISO 14001 certification, training programmes for auditors and companies, as well as general awareness raising programmes.

In April 1997, five companies obtained ISO 14001 certification, i.e. one car manufacturer and four public utility companies.

An important question in this context is whether having an ISO 14001 certification may lower any burden arising from such requirements.

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ISO 14001 provides a basis for certifying a firm apos s EMS, which may promote greater credibility with overseas clients and the Government.

According to some estimates, in the case of ISO 9000, certification audits alone may cost between US 10,000 and US 30,000 if European or United States consultants are used.

Ministries and other government agencies in some countries may consider ISO 14001 certification as a condition for participation in government procurement bids.

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The need to maintain and increase market share was viewed by many experts from developing countries as the main reason that companies certify to ISO 14001.

The objective was to ensure that the infrastructure required to operate an EMS certification system would be in place by the time the ISO 14001 standard was published.Choong Ho Lee, quot Implementation of Environmental Management System in Korea quot , paper presented at the APEC Seminar.

The Government has played a dominant role in promoting ISO 14001, including providing grants to defray costs for companies seeking certification.

The distinction between, on one hand, the accreditation bodies responsible for the formal recognition of a body or an individual as a competent certifier and, on the other hand, the certification body which audits and recognizes an entity as meeting a standard, such as ISO 14001, was highlighted.

2 ISO 9001 2000 is a standard in the ISO 9000 series.

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