EDM as an eGovernment application

Regulations in the environmental sector, at a national and European Union (EU) level, are necessary to protect human health, the soil, the water and the air. These provisions often require official permits and regularly include reporting obligations for companies and requirements for official monitoring of compliance with the environmental regulations.

To facilitate the interaction of companies and authorities required for this, electronic data management, abbreviated EDM, is used. EDM is an eGovernment application that offers a structured representation of permit content and company master data and enables electronic processing of many reporting obligations in the environmental sector, bringing about a standardised implementation of legal obligations in the area of environmental protection. EDM was originally developed for the area of waste management and is gradually being used for other areas of environmental law as well.

EDM is designed to work across authorities: This means that the Federal Government, federal states, district administrative authorities, companies and other organisations can communicate with each other directly via this central eGovernment platform. In this way, EDM also makes administrative activities across authorities easier, such as joint handling of controls.

Master Data Register (ZAReg)

The focus of EDM is a master data register developed according to international standards. ZAReg makes it possible to record plant and person master data across judicial areas and to represent person and plant-related permissions structurally, for example permit notices. ZAReg also has connections to other eGovernment platforms such as, for example, the Business Service Portal.

EDM applications

All EDM applications can use the master data managed in ZAReg. In EDM, there is a variety of specialised EDM applications through which reports are made to the competent authority. The authority employees gain access to the reported data and are supported by the respective EDM application in their work, for example by structured evaluations.

EDM in the waste sector

An important area of the EDM system concerns data on waste. Ultimately, all companies produce waste. This must be handed over to authorised waste collectors or handlers and transported, stored and treated properly, and the authority must check compliance with the provisions. The objective of the provisions is that waste is not disposed of illegally. Numerous companies in the waste sector, such as producers of waste or waste collectors and handlers, are therefore registered in the ZAReg master data register. The EDM system supports companies through publicly accessible query options in the search for authorised waste collectors and handlers.

Waste collectors and handlers must report a waste balance sheet once a year to the head of the federal state as the competent authority. For this purpose, the “eBilanzen” application is available in EDM. In the case of hazardous wastes and wastes with persistent organic pollutants, the waste receivers must also make dispatch note reports. These reports can also be made with EDM.

When waste transports take place across borders and the wastes leave the Austrian federal territory, it must also be ensured that they are treated properly. For this reason, certain cross-border transports of wastes must be approved and every single transport as well as the final treatment of the waste must be reported. In the case of this cross-border transfer, EDM facilitates the cooperation with authorities from other countries in Europe.

Plant master data and movement data in EDM

In ZAReg, waste treatment plants and their permits and other plants such as, in particular, large industrial plants with pollutant emissions into the soil, air or water are recorded. Emission reports of these plants can be made with EDM. In addition, the publication of these permits and environmental inspection reports takes place in EDM. In this way, the public can also get an idea of environment-related effects of plants.