The State Council executive meeting adopted the Decision of the State Council on Amendments to the Regulations on Environmental Management of Construction Projects (draft) on Jun. 21, in accordance with the newly revised Environment Impact Assessment Law.

It is reported that the ongoing regulations promulgated in 1998 no longer adapt to the new circumstances and requirements in respect of the environmental management needs, the interim and post supervision, information sharing, and public participation, and the definition of legal liabilities, considering the daunting challenges in environmental protection in China.

The amendments have the following features: a. creative in the environmental impact assessment system and highlight the priorities; b. reduce the overlapping of functions in different departments and cut red tapes; c. standardize the approval of environmental impact statements, and specify the requirements to get approved; d. cancel the environmental acceptance check, and strengthen the “three simultaneities system” and the interim and post supervision of construction projects. The amendments also highlighted the information sharing and public participation, and tightened the incompliance punishment and accountability.