[2][3] The Regulations covers UK Central Government and public authorities in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The main objective of the regulations is encapsulated in Regulation 4, which requires the relevant data holder to engage in a proactive exercise to make the information available for inspection "by electronic means" which inevitably requires the data to be made publicly available online or via an electronic device (e.g. a computer terminal) in a public place.

Recognising the reality of a wide diversity of information, the Regulations allow alternative formats, but require that they be "easily accessible" to the public.

Security service MI5 acknowledges that its activities are covered by the EIR,[9] and has published Environmental Information on its website.

[13][14] This was later superseded by the CJEU ruling,[15] which extended public authorities to a much wider definition including private companies.

The exceptions that public authorities can use to withhold information under the Regulations are narrower in their scope and application than the exemptions contained in the Act.