The Environmental Impact Assessment Law was promulgated in 2002, and amended in 2016 and 2018 respectively. The latest revision entered into force on December 29, 2018.

There are 37 articles in total.

The key points are as follows:

1.The “appraising environmental impacts” refers to the methods and institutions for analyzing, predicting and appraising the impacts of programs and construction projects that might incur after they are carried out so as to propose countermeasures for preventing or mitigating the unfavorable impacts and make follow-up monitoring.(Article 2)

2.The relevant departments of the State Council and the local governments shall, in the process of working out the relevant programs concerning the use of land and the programs for constructing, developing and utilizing the areas, drainage areas or sea areas, conduct environmental impact appraisals, draft chapters or explanations concerning environmental impacts.(Article 7)

3.The construction entities shall work out the report of environmental impacts, the report form of environmental impacts or the registration form of environmental impacts. Where the environmental impact assessment document of a construction project fails to undergo the examination of the approval department in accordance with the law or is disapproved after examination, the construction entity shall not commence construction. (Article 16 and 25)