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Legal Resources
Chinese Legal Framework
Statutes
- Environmental Laws, Policies, and Regulations (MEP)
Translated into English - ECOLEX: A Gateway to Environmental Law
ECOLEX is an information service on environmental law, operated jointly by FAO, IUCN and UNEP. To locate Chinese laws, select "National Legislation," then, on the search page, choose a subject (e.g. air & atmosphere) from the list, then select China from the country list. The result is a list of laws or regulations including the title and date of the item, plus a link to the full text in English. - LawInfoChina.com (www.lawinfochina.com is the site for English-language resources on Chinese law created and maintained by Chinalawinfo Co., Ltd., and the Legal Information Center of Peking University. Some resources require payment of a subscription fee.)
- Legal System of China (LawinfoChina.com)
Regulations and Directives
Air
-
Electronic Industry shall Implement New Pollutants Discharge Standards to be issued by the Chinese Ministry of Environmental Protection, no date provided) [Text in Chinese only]
- Guidelines for Environmental Impact Assessment Atmospheric Environment
issued by China's Ministry of Environmental Protection on Dec 31, 2008 and effective on April 1, 2009 [Text in Chinese only]
Energy Conservation
- Law of the People's Republic of China on Energy Conservation to take effect of April 1, 2008 (translation courtesy of Squire, Sanders & Dempsey, LLP) (PDF, 26 pp, 367k)
Export
- China imposes new export restrictions on polluting companies. On October 8, 2007 China issued The Notice on Strengthening Environmental Supervision of Export Enterprises [text in Chinese] , which
requires authorities to suspend export licenses and deny quota applications against violators of environmental regulations.
A system of environmental monitors will be phased in. Priority sectors cited include metallurgy, chemical,
cement, textile and light industry. Provincial environmental and commerce departments are also required to set up joint
working groups supervise compliance.
Food Safety
- Draft regulation on food safety published to solicit public opinion (National People's Congress news release, 4/21/08)
- Translation of new PRC Food Safety Law draft, May 12,2008 Translated by EU-China Trade Project
- Food Safety Laws and Regulations in China (China Environmental Health Fact Sheet, China Environment Forum, Woodrow Wilson Institute for Scholars, 2007)
Information
- China's new information disclosure regulation was signed by Premier Wen Jiabao on April 24, 2007. This regulation will take effect May 1, 2008. Text of regulation: English (Translation by China Law Center, Yale Law School. PDF, 9 pp, 42k) / Chinese
- Measures on Open Environmental Information, for Trial Implementation (Adopted by the State Environmental Protection Administration of China
on February 8, 2007; Effective May 1, 2008) (PDF, 8 pp, 44k)
Ministry of Environmental Protection
-
Ministry of Environmental Protection Organization Chart (Courtesy of Squire, Sanders & Dempsey L.L.P.) (PDF, 1 p)
- Program for the Implementation of Organizational Rules With Respect to the Environmental Protection Ministry (Translation courtesy of Squire, Sanders & Dempsey L.L.P) (PDF, 48 pp, 306k)
Noise
- Law of the People's Republic of China on the Prevention and Control of Environmental Noise Pollution (1999) (English translation courtesy of Squire, Sanders and Dempsey LLP) (PDF, 11 pp, 53k)
Pesticides
- Highlights of Pesticide Laws and Regulations in China (China Environmental Health Fact Sheet, China Environment Forum, Woodrow Wilson Institute for Scholars, 2007)
Sustainability
- Circular Economy Law of the People's Republic of China (English translation courtesy Squires, Sanders & Dempsey L.L.P.) adopted 8/29/08 (PDF, 21pp)
- MEP: Two Environmental Protection Guidelines for Developing Industrial Circular Economy (sustainability) were issued by MEP on March 14, 2009 and will be effective as of July 1, 2009 [Text in Chinese only]
Waste
- Regulations for the Administration of the Recovery and Disposal of Waste Electric and Electronic Products (China WEEE) Translation courtesy of Squire, Sanders and Dempsey L.L.P. (PDF, 12 pp)
- MEP - Announcement on Releasing Catalogue of Solid Wastes Forbidden to Import... (Announcement 11, 2008)
- Highlights of Waste Control Laws and Regulations in China (China Environmental Health Fact Sheet, China Environment Forum, Woodrow Wilson Institute for Scholars, 2007)
- MEP Notice on Strengthening the Final Acceptance and Inspection of Construction of Facilities Handling Hazardous Waste and Medical Waste (MEP) [Text in Chinese only]
Water
- Prevention and Control of Water Pollution (includes amendments through February 28, 2008). Translation courtesy of Squire, Sanders & Dempsey L.L.P.
- Highlights of Water Pollution Control Laws and Regulations in China
- (China Environmental Health Fact Sheet, China Environment Forum, Woodrow Wilson Institute for Scholars, 2007)
- China's Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP, formerly SEPA) proposed rules on pollutant discharge licensing for public comment on October 25, 2007.
The (For Comment Draft) Regulations for Pollutant Discharge Licensing [text in Chinese]would impose a licensing system for release of pollutants. Also included are provisions on license application, review and approval, supervision and inspection and penalties.
- Technological Policy on Sewage Treatment and Pollution Control for Urban Wastewater Treatment Plant (Trial) (MEP, MOHURD & MOST 2/18/09) [Text in Chinese only]
Treaties
- Environmental Treaties Signed by China (list prepared by MEP)
International Cooperation Documents
- Clean Water Action Plan June, 2008 (U.S.-China Strategic Economic Dialogue,Ten Year Cooperation on Energy and Environment) (PDF, 8 pp, 41k)
- Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Water Resources of the People's Republic of China and the Environmental Protection Agency of the United States of America in the Field of Water Resources Management (signed 3/27/07) (PDF, 4 pp)
- Strategy for Clean Air and Energy Cooperation. between. The Environmental Protection Agency of the United States of America and the State Environmental Protection Administration of the People's Republic of China (2004) (PDF, 5 pp)
- EPA-SEPA Memorandum of Understanding on Science and Technical Cooperation in the Field of Environment, signed 12/8/03. (PDF, 10 pp, 382k. Includes Annexes 1-4); Annex 5: Development, Implementation, and Enforcement of Environmental Law (signed 12/14/07)
Reports
2009
-
Addressing Chin's Water Scarcity: Recommendations for Selected Water Resource Management Issues (World Bank, 2009) Includes two chapters on water pollution laws in China.
- An Assessment of Environmental Regulation of the Steel Industry in China (Alliance for American Manufacturing, 2009)
- Natural Resources Defense Council releases report on "Strengthening U.S. - China Climate Change and Energy Engagement" (February 2009)
- Common Challenge, Collaborative Response: A Roadmap for U.S.-China Cooperation on Energy and Climate Change. Asia Society and Pew Center on Global Climate Change report, January 2009
-
Mitigation Actions in China: Measurement, Reporting and Verification (World Resources Institute Working Paper, June 2009) (PDF, 26 pp, 318k)
- Overcoming Obstacles to U.S.-China Cooperation on Climate Change (Brookings Institution, January 2009)
2008
- Clean Energy: an Exporter's Guide to China (U.S. Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration, July 2008) (PDF, 113 pp, 3.2MB)
- Beyond Compliance: Assessing Water Management Practices and Opportunities in Chinese Apparel Factories (Business for Social Responsibility MAP Team, 2008) (PDF, 55 pp, 7MB)
- Breaking the Suicide Pact: U.S.–China Cooperation on Climate Change, by William Chandler (Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Policy Brief no. 57, March 2008)
- China's Efforts and Achievements in Promoting the Rule of Law (China State Council White Paper, 2008) Section IV includes discussion of environmental law.
- China's Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Mitigation Policies; CRS Report for Congress (U.S. Congressional Research Service, 9/10/08) (PDF, 32 pp, 319k)
- The Environment : reprinted from the 2007 Annual Report of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China, One Hundred Tenth Congress, first session, October 10, 2007 (U.S. Government Printing Office, 2008) (PDF, 13 pp, 70K)
-
Mid-Term Evaluation of China's 11th Five Year Plan (World Bank, 12/18/08)
- A Price Too High – Health Impacts of Air Pollution in southern China (Civic Exchange, June 2008) (PDF, 100 pp)
In this research report, the authors have estimated that nearly 10000 deaths in the Southern China region with the majority (94%) occurring in the Pearl River Delta2 (PRD) have occurred due to air pollution at 2006. - What will drive China’s future legal development : reports from the field : hearing before the Congressional-Executive Commission on China, June 18, 2008. (United States. Congressional-Executive Commission on China. U.S. G.P.O., 2008)
2007
- Beijing 2008 Olympic Games - an Environmental Review (United Nations Environment Programme, 2007)
- China's Food Quality and Safety (August 2007) (Information Office of the State Council of the People's Republic of China)
- Country Environmental Analysis for the People's Republic of China. Asian Development Bank (May, 2007) (PDF, 155 pp, 1584K)
-
Energy Futures and Urban Air Pollution:
Challenges for China and the United States (National Academies Press, 2007)
- Impact of emergencies in 2007 : three cases : reprinted from the 2007 Annual Report of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China, One Hundred Tenth Congress, first session, October 10, 2007 (U.S. Government Printing Office, 2008) (PDF, 20 pp, 91K) Covers food safety, product quality, and climate change.
- OECD Environmental Performance Review of China (July 2007)
- Regulating Food Safety in China (By Linden J. Ellis)
- Water Pollution Emergencies in China: Prevention and Response (World Bank, June 2007) (PDF, 30 pp, 340K)
2006
- Environmental Governance in China -- Report of the Task Force on Environmental Governance (November 12, 2006) (PDF, 28 pp, 150k)
- Environmental Protection in China (1996-2005) The State Council Information Office
(June 2006)
(PDF, 28 pp, 91k)
Articles
2009
- Annual Review of Chinese Environmental Law Developments: 2008, by Mingqing You (Environmental Law Reporter News & Analysis, Vol. 39, Issue 6, June, 2009, p. 10510) (PDF, 6 pp, 486K) Copyright(c) 2008 Environmental Law Institute(r), Washington, DC. Posted with permission from the Environmental Law Institute.
- China's Environmental Super Ministry Reform: Background, Challenges, and the Future, by Xin Qiu and Honglin Li (Environmental Law Reporter: News & Analysis, vol. 39, no. 2, February 2009, pp. 10152-10163) (PDF, 12 pp, 1.1mb) Copyright(c) 2009 Environmental Law Institute(r), Washington, DC. Posted with permission from the Environmental Law Institute.
- Future Prospects of China’s Policy on Climate Change, by Jianjun Tu (China Brief, vol. 9, Issue 1, January 12, 2009)
2008
- American Bar Association, International Environmental Law Committee Newsletter. The August 2008 issue focuses on Chinese environmental law. Contributors include: Robert Percival, Roger Martella, Charles R. McElwee II, and others.
- Annual Review of Chinese Environmental Law Developments: 2007, by Mingqing You (Environmental Law Reporter News & Analysis, Vol. 38, Issue 10, October 2008, p. 10718) (PDF, 8 pp, 175K) Copyright(c) 2008 Environmental Law Institute(r), Washington, DC. Posted with permission from the Environmental Law Institute.
- China and Climate Change: Domestic Environmental Needs, Differentiated International Responsibilities, and Rule of Law Weaknesses, by Patricia Ross McCubbin (Environmental & Energy Law & Policy Journal , vol. 3, pp. 200 - 235, Fall 2008) (PDF, 36 pp, 251k)
- China's Influence on the American Legal System Resulting from China's Rise to Power, by Mark A. Scott (Suffolk Transnational Law Review, vol. 32, pp. 51 - 92, Winter 2008) (PDF, 41 pp, 381k)
- Climate Change Policy And Policy Change in China. by Jonathan B. Wiener.
(UCLA Law Review, vol. 55, August 2008, pp. 1805-1826) (PDF, 22 pp, 175K) - Climate Change: The China Problem, by Michael P. Vandenbergh.
(Southern California Law Review, vol. 81, July 2008, pp. 905-958) (PDF, 54 pp, 283K)
- Cultural Devolution:
Solving China's environmental catastrophe, by Bradford Plumer (New Republic, 7/9/08)
- China's Pollution Discharge Permit System Evolves Behind Its Economic
Expansion, by Wang Mingyuan (Villanova Environmental Law Journal, vol XIX, Issue I, 2008, pp. 95-121) (PDF, 27 pp, 22MB) Posted with the permission of the author.
Author's note: "On 28 February, 2008, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress amended the Water Pollution Prevention and Control Law of the PRC, and the water pollutant discharge permit system was formally introduced into the amended law (Art. 20)." - Different Operating Systems, by Dan Guttman (The Environmental Forum, vol. 25, no. 6, November/December 2008, p. 27) (PDF, 1 pp, 139K) Copyright(c) 2008 Environmental Law Institute(r), Washington, DC. Posted with permission from the Environmental Law Institute.
- Implementing Environmental Law in Transitional Settings: The Chinese Experience, by Roda Mushkat (Southern California Interdisciplinary Law Journal, vol. 18, pp. 45- 94, Fall 2008) (PDF, 50 pp, 377k)
- Middling Kingdom : The Paper Panda, by Samuel Bleicher (Environmental Forum, vol. 25, no. 6 November/December 2008, p. 24 (PDF, 6 pp, 999k) Copyright(c) 2008 Environmental Law Institute(r), Washington, DC. Posted with permission from the Environmental Law Institute.
- Nanotechnology in China: Regulations and Patents, by Deming Liu (Nanotechnology Law and Business, Volume 5, Issue 4, Winter 2008) Abstract only.
- A Strategic Economic Engagement: Strengthening U.S.-Chinese Ties, by Henry M. Paulson Jr. ( Foreign Affairs, September-October 2008)
- Who's Cleaning Up This Mess? by Charles R. McElwee II (Originally published in the January - February 2008 issue of the China Business Review, Pg. 20)
2007
- Annual Review of Chinese Environmental Law Developments: 2006, by Mingqing You (Environmental Law Reporter News & Analysis, Vol. 37, Issue 11, November 2007, p. 10836) Copyright(c) 2007 Environmental Law Institute(r), Washington, DC. Posted with permission from the Environmental Law Institute.
- China: An Introduction to Current Environmental Trends, by Charles R. McElwee, II. (International Environmental Law Committee Newsletter, Vol. 10, no. 1, October 2007, p. 35)
- China Adopts First Nationwie Open Government Information Regulations
By Jamie P. Horsley (May 9, 2007) - China's Coming Environmental Renaissance (November 29, 2007)
- The Great Leap Backward? by Elizabeth C. Economy (Foreign Affairs, vol. 86, no. 5, September/October 2007)
- China’s Strategic Priorities in International Climate Change Negotiations, by Joanna I. Lewis (Washington Quarterly. vol. 31, no. 1, Winter 2007-2008, pp. 155-174)
- Is China Turning Green? -- A Commentary by Daniel Esty (Originally published in Fortune Magazine on May 4, 2007)
- Making central-local relations work: Comparing America and China environmental governance systems, by Dan Guttman (Frontiers of Environmental Science & Engineering in China, vol. 1, no. 4, October, 2007, pp. 418-433) Abstract only. Full text of article can be purchased from the publisher.
- One Billion Enforcers, by Alex Wang. (The Environmental Forum vol. 24, no. 2, March/April 2007) Copyright(c) 2007 Environmental Law Institute(r), Washington, DC. Posted with permission from The Environmental Forum.
- Vermont Journal of Environmental Law, vol. 8, issue 2 ( Spring 2007) contains a number of articles relating to the Chinese environmental regulatory system.
2006
- Comparative Analysis of Air Pollution Trading in the United States and China, by Heather Jarvis and Wei Xu (Environmental Law Reporter News & Analysis, vol. 36, Issue 3, March 2006, p. 10234) (PDF, 17 pp, 369K) Copyright(c) 2006 Environmental Law Institute(r), Washington, DC. Posted with permission from the Environmental Law Institute.
- Environmental Law and Policy In The People's Republic of China, by Stefanie Beyer (Chinese Journal of International Law, vol. 5, no. 1, February 2006, pp. 185-211) Abstract only. Article is available for purchase from the publisher.
- Role of Law In Environmental Protection in China: Recent Developments, by Alex Wang (Vermont Journal of Environmental Law, vol. 8, pp. 195-224, 2006-2007)
2005
- China’s Increasing Focus on Europe: Trends and Implications for the Development of Chinese Environmental Law, by
Richard J. (“Tad”) Ferri (International Environmental Law Committee Newsletter, Vol. 7, no. 2, May 2005, p. 1)
2001
- Clean Air, Clear Processes? The Struggle over Air Pollution Law in the People's Republic of China, by William P. Alford and Benjamin L. Liebman (Hastings Law Journal, vol. 52, no. 3, March 2001, p. 703)