The Environmental Information Regulations 2004 (EIR) is a European legislation which gives people rights of public access to environmental information held by public authorities. Environmental information covers the elements of the environment such as air and atmosphere, water, soil, land, landscape and natural sites including wetlands, coastal and marine areas, biological diversity and its components. Factors such as substances, energy, noise, radiation or waste, including radioactive waste, emissions, discharges and other releases into the environment, affecting or likely to affect the elements of the environment referred to above.
EIR is very similar to Freedom Of Information (FOI) and is often confused with it. The only main difference to FOI is that requests can be taken verbally. There are a number of exceptions which can be applied when deciding whether information can be released or not.