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European companies may be forced to divulge data on their emissions
of toxic chemicals within two years, says Andrew Campbell, a senior environment
official from the European Commission.

This would bring Europe into line with the US, where companies are legally
bound to provide information on more than 300 toxic chemicals if they are
released into the air, water or onto land. The information is kept on a
database known as the Toxic Release Inventory (TRI), which is open to the
public.

Campbell said in London last week that Europe might introduce an equivalent
of TRI ‘within the next two years’, but it would not be included in a forthcoming
directive on pollution control.

‘The importance of access to monitoring information will continue to
grow,’ said Campbell. ‘Eventually all of Europe will have organised inventories
or registers of emissions relating to individual industrial installations.’