Environmental Information Regulations 2004 (EIR)

The Environmental Information Regulations (EIR) deals with environmental information held by public authorities in England, Northern Ireland and Wales.

Environmental Information is divided into the following six main areas:

• the state of the elements of the environment, such as air, water, soil, land, fauna (including people)
• emissions and discharges (gases and fluids), noise, energy, radiation, waste and other such substances
• measures and activities such as policies, plans, and agreements affecting or likely to affect the state of the elements of the environment
• reports, cost-benefit and economic analyses the state of human health and safety, contamination of the food chain
• cultural sites and built structures (as they may be affected by environmental factors)

Regulation 16 of The Code of Practice on the discharge of the obligations of public authorities under EIR, sets out good practice recommendations for public authorities to follow in meeting their obligations under the Regulations.

You can make a request for information under the EIR verbally and in the same way as you make a Freedom of Information request; however your request will be subject to the regulations governing EIR requests.

FOI request page here.