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Sarah uses Europe to get environmental information from water companies
April 5, 2001 12:00 AM
Baroness Sarah Ludford, Liberal Democrat MEP for London, has challenged the European Commission to ensure that new EU rules on public access to environmental information do cover data from privatised water, energy and transport companies, as it originally intended.
She said: " The new rules will be a great advance, not least in stressing internet access to data. But I want to be sure companies cannot wriggle out of the obligation of openness, as they did under the old EU rules with the connivance of the Tory government."
"The Commission appears to envisage that information from privatised utilities would be obtained via the regulators. I have asked Environment Commissioner Margot Wallström to clarify how exactly this would work."
"Labour and Tory MEPs pushed ? though unsuccessfully ? for amendments to relieve such companies of the obligation of openness. But the Commission must affirm that the text as it now stands will guarantee that information, for instance on radiation from pylons, sewage at bathing beaches, or pollution of drinking water, can be freely and easily obtained."
"I also want assurances that information from, for example, airlines on noise pollution or developers on environmental impact of planning proposals, will be accessible."
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