Meeting with MEE and CCPIT on Environmental Protection Policies and Enforcement in China

2018-03-28 | Beijing

Chamber National Vice Chair of Environment Working Group, Dr Christoph Schrempp, led a delegation of 12 members to attend the dialogue with the government officials from the Ministry of Ecological Environment (MEE) and the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) on environmental protection policies and enforcement in China. 

Followed by the brief introduction on the CCPT and the significance of improving the regulatory environment for foreign investment in China made by Deputy Head of the Division of Investment Promotion of CCPIT, Director General (DG) Bie Tao from the Department of Policy and Legislation of MEE made the keynote speech on the reshuffle of the Ministry of Environmental Protection by highlighting the speeches made by Minister Li Ganjie of MEE during the Two Sessions of 2018.  As he pointed out, the personnel change and website update for MEE will be completed by the end of April 2018, and the departments under MEE will be streamlined by the end of June 2018. 

Based on the question list consolidated and submitted by the Chamber Environment Working Group, DG Bie Tao replied to the questions one by one, including the intensified government enforcement on environmental protection, new plans and measures on ecological protection, the Action Plan on Air Pollution Prevention and Control, the Three Year Plan on Fighting For Blue Sky, the Master Action Plan on Air Pollution Treatment in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Areas During the Autumn and Winter Seasons of 2017/2018, national inspection campaigns on environmental protection, updates on pollutants discharge control permit system, legislation and amendment plan on the Law on Soil Pollution Prevention and Control and the Law on Solid Waste Pollution Prevention and Control, recycling of solid waste, treatment on hazardous waste and sludge, bio-resources and diversity, government procurement for environmental projects, environmental protection tax, energy consumption control and emission control, review on the control of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) as well as local environmental standards.  Furthermore, Mr Zhang Huizhao, Chief Officer of Environmental Supervision Bureau of MEE, commented on the phenomena on factory shut-downs and industry relocation at local government level as well as the one-cutting approach towards air pollution control campaigns.  In addition, Ms Wang Li, Deputy Director of the Department of Policy and Legislation of MEE also attended to the concerns regarding the relationship between the environmental impact evaluation system and the pollutants discharge control permit system along with the updates on the rating system on enterprises from the perspective of environmental protection. 

This meeting concluded with Dr Christoph Schrempp presenting the European Chamber Business Confidence Survey 2017 to Ms Zhu Lingyan and the European Chamber Position Paper 2017/2018 to Director General Bie Tao.