Brussels is cracking down on European polluters. As part of so-called “operation transparency” being conducted by EPER the European Polluting Emissions Register the Commission has published a report that contains the details of the 73 known sites classified as most polluting in Europe. The data relating to 2001 and coming from the 16 member states of the EU (the Fifteen plus Hungary) and from Norway specify the name of the firm in question, the type of pollution (atmospheric or hydrological) and the harmful substances emitted. EPER has calculated that the black list represents a tenth of the total harmful emissions registered in Europe. France occupies first place in the black list with 18 sites, followed by the UK with 13 and Italy and Spain each with 11. In view of the positive outcome of the project, the Commission is planning by 2007 to set up an even more exhaustive register with the objective of identifying all polluting emissions from 2012 on. For further information, consult the website http://www.eper.cec.eu.int
