The indicator measures to which extent the states ensure that their competent public authorities regularly collect and update relevant environmental information, including information on environmental performance and compliance by operators of activities potentially affecting the environment.

This indicator is an arithmetic average of expert answers to questions on a scale from 0 (worst) to 3 (best): (4.1) To what extent are competent public authorities mandated by law to regularly collect and update relevant environmental information?; (4.2) To what extent does the law mandate the public authorities to comprehensively monitor the environmental performance and compliance by operators of activities potentially affecting the environment, and to collect and update such information?; (4.3) To what extent is there a system established by the law ensuring adequate public information about proposed and existing activities that may significantly affect the environment?; (P4.1) Does a national agency in your country ensure that daily air emission and waste water discharges by large-scale industries at a facility level are proactively made publicly available either online, through a public register or at a library; if so, is that information comparable to a national standard?