On Jan. 31, Minister Li Ganjie presided over a ministerial executive meeting, which considered and adopted in principle the 2019 list of the construction projects the environmental impact statements of which are to be reviewed and approved by the MEE and the MEE guidance for the standardization of the administrative licensing.

The meeting noted that to deepen the reform on “streamlining administration, delegating power, strengthening regulation, and improving service” came as a major decision of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, an inherent requirement for pursuing high-quality economic growth for a new era, a vital support for the fight over pollution, and a strategic move to advance the modernization of the ecological and environmental governance systems and capacities. To optimize the list of the construction projects the environmental impact statements of which are to be reviewed and approved by the Ministry is an integral part of the Ministry’s reform in this respect and reform on its environmental impact review system. It is imperative to streamline administration, delegate power, strengthen regulation, and improve service for environmental impact assessment, pay close attention to the interim regulation and post-regulation especially the compliance inspection, to make sure the follow-up regulatory measures are implemented. The meeting called for all provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities to further optimize the definition of the approval powers and make sure some powers are delegated to lower levels smoothly, based on the actual work conditions and the capacity of the community-level ecological and environmental departments to take upon the powers. It is imperative to, based on the new explorations and outcomes of the environmental impact assessment, consider the comprehensive revision of the assessment law and sign the reform outcomes into law.

The meeting also noted that since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, the Ministry has gone all out to advance the reform on the administrative approval system, removed certain items from the approval list, accelerated the standardization of the administrative licensing, and found out and solved the problems during administrative approval. As a result, the approval items’ elements, procedures and stages are better defined, and the approval has been much more efficient.

The meeting stressed that it is imperative to implement the guidance for the standardization of the administrative licensing and continue to improve the licensing services. The standardization will help better regulate the environmental approval, restrain the administrative power, specify the discretionary power, improve the predictability and feasibility of administrative licensing, strengthen the verification, assessment, and supervision of the administrative licensing, and establish a complete, scientific, and effective approval system sooner.

Vice Ministers Huang Runqiu and Zhai Qing, and Chief Inspector of the CCDI Inspector’s Office and Chief Supervisor of the SSC Supervisor’s Office at the MEE Wu Haiying presented at the meeting.

Other leading officials of the Inspector's Office and Supervisor's Office and the principal officials of the Ministry's departments and some affiliates attended the meeting.