The newly revised water pollution prevention and control law shall enter into force on January 1, 2018. In this context, the Environment Protection and Resources Conservation Committee of the NPC, the Legislative Affairs Commission of the NPC Standing Committee, the Legislative Affairs Office of the State Council, and MEP jointly held a symposium on the upcoming enforcement of the new law. Vice Chairperson of the NPC Standing Committee Chen Changzhi presented and delivered important remarks at the symposium.

The new law gathers the useful practices and experience of China in controlling the water pollution and protecting the water environment, and is the legal basis for promoting water pollution control, tackling water environment issues, and safeguarding the immediate interests of the people, said Chen. It is also a major move taken to put the guiding principles of the 19th National Congress into action, fight against the water pollution, and promote the harmony between man and nature, in order to build a beautiful country.

Chen urged the governments at all levels and relevant departments to organize the study and enforcement of the new law and disseminate its main principles and institutions. He also required the people’s congresses at all levels and their standing committees to urge and help the governments and departments at the same levels, the industry and the public to familiarize with the new law’s basic philosophy and provisions. The communication departments and media outlets should organize diversified popularization activities. The judicial departments shall exercise judicial power and seriously investigate environmental incompliances.

In his remarks, Minister Li Ganjie noted that the newly revised water pollution law, being problem-oriented and target-oriented, has institutionalized and legalized the new requirements of building ecological civilization and the ten major measures to tackle water pollution. It is a powerful legal weapon to protect water environment and address water pollution. The environmental protection departments at all levels should enhance inter-departmental collaboration, rigorously conduct compliance inspection, work harder to share information, and further implement the action plan against water pollution.

The meeting was chaired by Vice Minister Huang Runqiu, Vice Chairman of the Legislative Affairs Commission of the NPC Standing Committee Xu Anbiao, Vice Minister of the State Council Legal Affairs Office Liu Zhao, Vice Minister of Housing and Urban-Rural Development Ni Hong, Chief Planner of Ministry of Water Resources Wang Annan, Vice Minister of Agriculture Zhang Taolin, representative of river chiefs and secretary of Pujiang County of Zhejiang Province Shi Zhenqiang, law specialist Wang Jin, and representative of environmental NGOs Ma Jun voiced their opinions on the new law.

Vice Chairperson of the Environment Protection and Resources Conservation Committee Wang Yunlong, the leading officials concerned with the NDRC, MIIT, MPS, MOF, MLR, MOT, MOC, NHFPC, and AQSIQ attended the symposium at the main venue.

The leading officials of the local people’s congresses and the environmental protection and other government departments of the provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities, Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps and cities separately listed in State plans, and the Ministry’s regional environmental inspection bureaus observed the event at branch venues.

(This English version is for your reference only.In case any discrepancy exists between the Chinese and English context, the Chinese version shall prevail.)