ISO recently released a formal transition plan for organizations working toward compliance with ISO 14001: 2004.The transition plan is designed to help organizations registered to ISO 14001:1996 update their EMS to be consistent with the new version of the standard. After May 15, 2006, the International Accreditation Forum will only recognize registrations to the 2004 version of 14001.

“I encourage all organizations to begin implementing ISO 14001:2004 as soon as possible in order to benefit from its easier-to-understand language, clearer intention and increased compatibility with the ISO 9001 quality management system standard that many of them also implement,” says Alan Bryden, ISO secretary-general.

The IAF estimates that 18 months is sufficient for the transition to ISO 14001:2004, compared to the three-year transition considered necessary for ISO 9001:1994-registered organizations transitioning to ISO 9001:2000. The 18-month transition plan is for implementation by certification bodies accredited by IAF members performing ISO 14001 audits. The main points are:

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