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China to seek public opinion on environmental affairs

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2006-04-14 09:29

China's environmental watchdog has issued a set of guidelines on public participation in environmental impact assessment, encouraging direct involvement from the general public in the country's environmental affairs.

"This is the first official document on public involvement in the environmental sector, which will make government decisions in the sector more transparent and democratic," said Pan Yue, deputy director of the State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA).

The document stipulates that construction managers and environmental protection departments are obliged to consult public opinion on the potential impacts of a project on the environment.

Public involvement must be carried out in "an open, equal, extensive and convenient way," said the guidelines.

"At least 10 days must be left for members of the public to voice their views before a project manager submits its report for approval."

Despite people's eagerness to participate in environmental affairs in China, in the past they have been ignored due to a lack of regulations granting them a say.

"The lack of transparency in decision-making has resulted in disputes on environment impact and even mass unrest after the completion of many construction projects," Pan said.

Pan pledged that the SEPA will use the document as a guide to set up a comprehensive system which releases environmental information and makes procedures more specific to ensure effective public involvement.

China first looked into a way of involving the public in 2005, when a construction project in Yuanmingyuan, a former imperial garden, in the western suburbs of Beijing, caused an uproar around the country.

"The document aims to institutionalize the experience we gained from the hearing on Yuanmingyuan," said Pan.