Access to Information

Netherlands District Court Rules Woo Must Disclose Nitrogen Enforcement Location Data

A Dutch court has confirmed that location data in nitrogen enforcement files are environmental emission information under the Open Government Act (Woo), so standard confidentiality, privacy and security exemptions in Woo article 5.1(1)-(2) cannot be used to block disclosure. This precedent increases transparency expectations for companies subject to emission controls in the Netherlands, as authorities are more likely to release site-specific enforcement and emission data in response to information requests.

23 May 2026, 09:09uitspraken.rechtspraak.nlNetherlands

Chile Ministry of Environment Seeks to Join Escazú Expert Group on Pollutant Release and Transfer Registers

At Escazú Agreement COP4 in April 2026, Chile signalled its intention to join a new regional expert group to develop guidance on strengthening pollutant release and transfer registers while reporting ongoing implementation of its national Escazú plan. This early governance move does not yet create new reporting obligations for Chilean facilities but could shape medium-term changes to RETC design and data requirements as Latin American PRTR frameworks converge.

5 May 2026, 07:10mma.gob.clChile

EU Court Of Justice Appeal On EFSA Disclosure Of Captan Co-Formulants (Case C-570/25 P)

The EU Court of Justice has registered an appeal by Arysta Lifescience challenging an EFSA decision to disclose the co-formulant list for the Captan 80 WG plant protection product, following a General Court ruling upholding disclosure. The case will determine how far EU transparency and Aarhus emissions rules override commercial confidentiality for pesticide formulation data, potentially reshaping data-access and disclosure strategies for plant protection products.

30 Apr 2026, 08:29eur-lex.europa.euEuropean Union

Netherlands Agriculture Ministry Confirms Emission Data Must Be Public Under Woo

In April 2026, the Dutch agriculture ministry confirmed that emission data count as environmental information that must be disclosed under the Open Government Act (Woo), with no exceptions, in the context of parliamentary questions on goal-based steering. This clarifies that companies should assume emission data submitted to authorities or scheme operators will be publicly accessible and that a 2026 Woo evaluation will explicitly examine how emission transparency is balanced with privacy and social-safety concerns.

28 Apr 2026, 17:43open.overheid.nlNetherlands

Minnesota Senate Rules Committee Hearing on SF 4144 Chemical Irritant Disclosure Set for 20 April 2026

The Minnesota Senate Rules Committee has scheduled an April 20, 2026 hearing that includes SF 4144, a bill requiring disclosure when chemical irritants are used inside certain buildings. This additional committee step indicates the proposal is continuing to advance, so Minnesota law enforcement agencies and building stakeholders should monitor its progress and be ready for new disclosure and record-keeping obligations if it is enacted.

23 Apr 2026, 14:11revisor.mn.govUnited States

Netherlands Updates Woo Consultation Procedure for Emission Data Requests

In April 2026 the Dutch government confirmed that emission data must always be disclosed under the Open Government Act (Woo) and announced a new, streamlined consultation procedure for large Woo requests in agriculture. By replacing individual letters to farmers with Staatscourant notices while planning a broader Woo evaluation, the government is accelerating transparency on emission data and modestly increasing disclosure risk for farms whose business and home addresses coincide.

21 Apr 2026, 20:19zoek.officielebekendmakingen.nlNetherlands

Netherlands Agriculture Ministry Adopts Staatscourant Procedure For Woo Emission-Data Requests

The Dutch agriculture ministry has changed how it consults stakeholders on Woo (Open Government Act) requests for agricultural emission data, moving from individual letters to public notices in the Staatscourant from April 2026. This streamlines disclosure while still giving farmers and interest groups a chance to respond, signalling a firmer commitment to timely transparency on emissions data but also highlighting ongoing concerns about the social safety of agricultural operators.

21 Apr 2026, 15:07open.overheid.nlNetherlands

Kentucky HB849 Would Tighten Legislative Oversight of High-Impact Administrative Regulations

Kentucky bill HB849 proposes to overhaul how state administrative regulations are inventoried, analysed, and approved, including a public permit transparency portal and a requirement that any regulation with at least $500,000 in combined implementation and compliance costs over two years receive explicit General Assembly ratification before taking effect. If enacted, this would add a new political checkpoint and potential delay for high-cost state regulations—including major environmental, permitting, and other compliance rules—shifting future Kentucky regulatory timelines and risk more squarely into the legislative arena.

15 Apr 2026, 08:08apps.legislature.ky.govUnited States

Amsterdam Court Annuls Partial Refusal To Disclose ARA 2023 Emission Report Under Woo

The District Court of Amsterdam annulled the municipality’s partial refusal to disclose an asphalt plant’s 2023 emission measurement report under the Dutch Open Government Act (Woo), finding that redacted Annex 11 data on process settings, recipes and temperatures qualify as “emissions in the environment” and cannot simply be shielded as trade secrets. This strengthens public access to industrial emission information and narrows the scope for municipalities and operators to resist environmental transparency requests, signalling that similar Woo‑based ESG disclosure disputes around emission measurements may now favour fuller data release.

13 Apr 2026, 12:15uitspraken.rechtspraak.nlNetherlands

New York Senate Bill S09777 Proposes Periodic Renewal of FOIL Confidentiality Exemptions

New York Senate Bill S09777 proposes to end indefinite confidentiality for records submitted to state agencies by requiring renewal of FOIL disclosure exemptions every three years. Businesses must implement rigorous tracking of confidentiality expiration dates to prevent sensitive commercial information from automatically entering the public domain.

9 Apr 2026, 14:22assembly.state.ny.usUnited States

Oregon Enacts HB 4102 on DEQ Expedited Regulatory Agreements

Oregon has enacted legislation allowing the Department of Environmental Quality to enter into cost-recovery agreements to expedite environmental permitting and regulatory reviews starting January 1, 2027. Regulated entities can now proactively fund agency capacity to accelerate project timelines and improve predictability for complex environmental approvals.

4 Apr 2026, 10:29olis.oregonlegislature.govUnited States

Oregon Passes HB 4102 To Expand DEQ Expedited Regulatory Agreements

Oregon has enacted legislation allowing businesses to fund expedited environmental permit reviews and regulatory processes starting January 2027. This provides a strategic mechanism for companies to accelerate project timelines and bypass agency backlogs by directly financing additional regulatory capacity or third-party contractors.

3 Apr 2026, 17:56olis.oregonlegislature.govUnited States

US House Introduces AI-Ready Bio-Data Standards Act (H.R. 7907)

The US House introduced legislation to establish national NIST standards and cybersecurity frameworks for biological datasets used in artificial intelligence development. Biotechnology and biomanufacturing firms should anticipate these standards becoming mandatory prerequisites for federal research funding, procurement, and data-sharing agreements.

1 Apr 2026, 14:15govinfo.govUnited States

Peru Adopts Citizen Participation Regulation for Environmental Evaluation of Housing, Construction and Sanitation Projects

Peru has introduced mandatory citizen participation requirements for environmental impact assessments in the housing, construction, and sanitation sectors, effective June 25, 2026. Project developers must integrate formal stakeholder engagement plans and culturally adapted consultation mechanisms into their environmental permitting processes to mitigate social risk and ensure legal compliance.

29 Mar 2026, 17:04busquedas.elperuano.pePeru

South Korea MCEE Proposes KECI Amendment Disclosing 136 Existing Chemicals

South Korea has proposed disclosing the identities of 136 existing chemicals in the national inventory following the expiration of their confidential business information protection. Impacted businesses must audit their portfolios to ensure registrations, safety data sheets, and labels are updated to reflect the newly public chemical names and identifiers.

29 Mar 2026, 05:33resource.chemlinked.com.cnSouth Korea

Washington DOH Adopts Updated Consumer Confidence Report Rules for Group A Public Water Systems

Washington State has finalized stricter drinking water reporting rules to align with federal standards, effective April 2026. Operators must implement enhanced disclosure protocols for contaminants like PFAS and lead, including new biannual reporting cycles for larger systems starting in 2027.

28 Mar 2026, 16:37doh.wa.govUnited States

US EPA Seeks Comment on Renewal of TSCA CBI Access ICR

The US EPA is renewing the procedural framework for authorized government and medical professional access to TSCA Confidential Business Information. This renewal ensures continuity for sensitive data disclosure during emergencies while maintaining the current administrative burden for manufacturers.

27 Mar 2026, 18:17govinfo.govUnited States

EU General Court Partially Annuls Commission Decision On Access To Mancozeb And Cypermethrin Documents

The EU General Court has ruled that Member State voting records and positions in pesticide approval committees must generally be public, overturning previous Commission secrecy. This shift toward transparency increases the legal and reputational risk for national authorities during substance renewals, making it easier for stakeholders to challenge individual Member State influence.

27 Mar 2026, 08:25eur-lex.europa.euEuropean Union

Netherlands Court Clarifies Woo Emission-Related Animal Data Cannot Be Withheld for Security (ECLI:NL:RBNNE:2026:889)

A Dutch court ruling mandates the public disclosure of livestock operational data as emission-related environmental information under the Open Government Act. This precedent limits the use of security exemptions for operational data, signaling increased transparency risks and disclosure obligations for facilities with environmental impacts.

26 Mar 2026, 19:26deeplink.rechtspraak.nlNetherlands

Slovakia: Consultation on Draft Sixth Aarhus Convention Implementation Report

Slovakia has launched a public consultation on its draft Sixth Aarhus Convention implementation report, detailing the national framework for environmental transparency and public participation. This consolidation of environmental governance measures signals heightened scrutiny of EIA procedures and potential litigation risks for industrial operations and infrastructure projects.

25 Mar 2026, 21:44minzp.skSlovakia