Source: http://news.h2o-china.com/html/2011/04/1141303350989_1.shtml
As information is released about the incoming amending of the “Environment Protection Law” from the relevant government departments, it is apparent that besides maintaining the basic organization system, breakthroughs will be made in key areas, such as government responsibility to complete supervisory systems and maintain public rights. Pan Yue, vice minister of the Environmental Protection Department, included these aspects of the law when he joined the Special Subject Survey – held by the NPC and Environment Protection and Resources Conservation Committee (EPRCC) – which focused on amending the “Environment Protection Law” in Hunan and Hubei provinces.
The purpose of amending the “Environment Protection Law” is to utilize Chinese socialist legal characteristics in harmonizing environmental ideas and the current law, eliminate the negative effects of the inconsistency of laws on local legislation and executive law enforcement and improve on the effectiveness of the “Environment Protection Law” through experience in environmental protection practice.
In these next five years, during the time of “the 12th Five Year Plan”, our environmental resources are and will continue to be confronted with severe challenges. People are looking for environmental quality and, as such, the current “Environment Protection Law” must be amended at once. Changes to the overall economic, scientific and social development also require this amendment. According to the requirements of the EPRCC and current environmental protection practice, the amendment should satisfy the following points: first, try to have breakthrough in key points according to the individual EPRCC recommendations; second, identify common points and eliminate differences in contral government management in order to stabilize basic management systems; third, ensure the government performs supervisory role in the system and maintains public rights; and forth, properly determine various laws’ function and cope with relative laws’ connection.
Translator: Xu Danmeng
Proofreader: Vincent Pellecchia