European Commission and EEA launch first Europe-wide industrial pollution register

Copenhagen, 23 February 2004

European Commission and EEA launch first Europe-wide industrial pollution register

Today the European Commission and the European Environment Agency launched the European Pollutant Emission Register (EPER), the first Europe-wide register of industrial emissions into air and water. The launch event took place at the EEA in Copenhagen (see below for more details).

EPER, which is hosted by the EEA, makes detailed information on pollution from around 10,000 large industrial facilities in the EU and Norway publicly accessible on the internet for the first time.

The public register enables European citizens to exercise their 'right to know', allowing them, for example, to see how much pollution large industries in their neighbourhoods generate and to compare this with the situation in other parts of Europe. Companies can measure themselves against their competitors. For their part, scientists, insurance companies, local authorities and policy makers now have a solid database to help them choose the most effective solutions for reducing industrial pollution.

EPER website

Press release

Video presentation
A 8-min. video called "EPER - Engine for Change" is available free of charge at http://www.tvlink.org/env/en/video/frame.htm.

EPER launch event

• Prof. Jacqueline McGlade, Executive Director of the EEA
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• Margot Wallström, European Commissioner for Environment (delivered by Paul McAleavey)
  Read PDF version (54 Kb)
  


• Hans Chr. Schmidt, Danish Minister of the Environment
  Read PDF version (33 Kb)
  


• Björn Stigson, President, World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD)
  Read PDF version (42 Kb)
  


• Alain Perroy, Director General, European Chemical Industry Council (CEFIC)
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• Mary Taylor, Friends of the Earth, UK
  Read PDF version (17 Kb)
  


• Winnie Berndtson, Mayor for Environment, City of Copenhagen
  Read PDF version (22 Kb)
  

Further information

For public enquiries:
EEA Information Centre
E-mail: information.centre@eea.eu.int

For media enquiries:
Tony Carritt
EEA Media Relations Manager

Direct tel. (45) 33 36 71 47
Mobile : (45) 23 68 36 69
E-mail : tony.carritt@eea.eu.int