FOI AND EIR 
FEES AND CHARGES GUIDE 
Although the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and the Environmental Information 
Regulations 2004 are similar in some respects, the ability to charge applicants for 
providing information is different. Below is a table setting out the main differences 
between the two regimes: 
Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOI) 
Environmental Information 
Regulations 2004 (EIR) 
Below the Appropriate Limit 
There is No Appropriate Limit 
No fee is chargeable for the costs of  The Public Authority may charge a 
complying with a request where the costs  reasonable amount for making 
are below the Appropriate Limit, which is: 
environmental information available (Reg 
8). 
• 
£450 for other Public Authorities 
No charge for: 
Expenses 
• 
Allowing an applicant to access any 
However a Public Authority can make a 
public registers or lists of 
charge for the cost of informing the 
environmental information held by 
applicant that they hold the information 
the Public Authority; or  
and communicating the information to the  • 
To examine information requested 
applicant. Costs which the authority can 
at the place the Public Authority 
therefore charge include: 
makes available for that 
examination. 
• 
costs of complying with the means 
or form of communication an What is a reasonable amount? 
applicant may have expressed a 
preference for;  
Defra draft guidance states: "When 
• 
costs of reproducing the information,  making a charge, whether for information 
e.g. photocopy and scanning costs;  
proactively disseminated or provided on 
• 
postage and other forms of request, the charge must not exceed the 
transmitting the information e.g. cost  cost of producing the information unless 
of disks or CDs.  
the Public Authority is entitled to levy a 
market-based charge". 
However authorities CANNOT take into 
account the staff time in undertaking the  However EC Case Law suggests that a 
above activities. 
reasonable amount does not permit a 
Public Authority to pass on the entire 
costs incurred, in particular, indirect costs 
incurred in searching for and locating the 
information. In Commission v Germany 
(C-217/97) it was held that a reasonable 
cost did not permit the charging out of 
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part of the cost and time of a Public 
Authority in performing a public duty. 
Schedule of Charges 
Public Authorities must publish and make 
available a schedule of charges (Reg 
8(8). Defra draft guidance suggests this 
would include a price list for publications 
or the charge per unit of work which will 
be incurred to meet the request and that 
any concessions on charges for certain 
groups e.g. pupils, students or charitable 
organisations must be set out in the 
Schedule of Charges. 
Refusal above the Appropriate Limit 
No right of refusal on cost grounds 
A Public Authority can chose to refuse a  There is no right to refuse a request on 
request where compliance would exceed  the grounds that it may be costly to 
the Appropriate Limit. 
comply. 
However, if a request is complex or 
voluminous the Public Authority may 
extend the timescales for dealing with the 
request to up to a total of 40 Working 
Days. 
Costs above the Appropriate Limit 
N/A 
Where a Public Authority however 
chooses to comply with a request which 
is over the fees threshold, they can 
charge the full costs they incur, namely: 
• 
the costs of determining whether 
they hold the information, locating 
and retrieving the information and 
extracting and editing the 
information, based on the £25 an 
hour staff rate;  
• 
the costs of advising the applicant 
that they hold the information and 
communicating the information; 
• 
the staff time in undertaking these 
activities, e.g. the staff time incurred 
in arranging photocopies or in sitting 
with an applicant whilst they inspect 
information. 
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Fees Notice 
Fees Notice 
A Public Authority can require payment  A Public Authority can require payment in 
by serving a Fees Notice within 20  advance of disclosure by serving a Fees 
Working Days of the request, requiring  Notice within 20 Working Days advising 
the applicant to pay the fee specified  the applicant of the amount of the 
therein. 
advance payment. 
The applicant has 3 months to pay the  The applicant has 60 Working Days to 
fee. Until the applicant does so, the  pay the fee. Until the applicant does so, 
authority does not need to respond to the  the authority does not need to respond to 
request. 
the request. 
Points to 
The question of what is a reasonable charge and whether cost 
consider: 
estimates calculated under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 to 
ascertain whether the cost exceeds the Appropriate Limit are areas 
which an applicant can challenge. If an applicant disagrees with any 
costs which a Public Authority has calculated then they can complain in 
the first instance to the Public Authority in accordance with its 
published complaints procedures. If an applicant still believes that the 
costs have not been calculated in line with the legislation and guidance, 
they may make a complaint to the Information Commissioner. 
The Information Commissioner has now published a guide explaining 
how to complain. This is called "Your Right to know: how to complain" 
and is available on the Information Commissioner's website. 
 
 
 
 
 
Credit: Messrs Walker Morris Solicitors 
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