Chinese lawmakers further review draft environmental code

BEIJING, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- China is making further progress on the legislative process for the draft environmental code with two parts of the draft code submitted Friday to an ongoing session of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature, for a new round of deliberations.

The draft code consists of five parts in total, and the other three parts were submitted to the NPC Standing Committee for a second reading in September this year.

Once adopted, it will become China's second formal statutory code, after the Civil Code, which was adopted in 2020. The compilation of the environmental code was initiated in 2023.

Lawmakers on Friday reviewed a section on pollution prevention and control, which stipulates that governments at all levels should allocate funds from their fiscal budgets to support the treatment of rural domestic waste, and the prevention and control of pollution from livestock, poultry and aquaculture.

The draft code also adds provisions for the scientific, rational and safe use of veterinary drugs, feed, feed additives and other agricultural inputs, as well as provisions for the proper disposal of packaging waste from these inputs.

It stresses enhanced measures to prevent and control pollution from heavy metals and volatile organic compounds. On the prevention and control of water pollution, it adds provisions on conducting surveys and assessments of groundwater conditions, and strengthens the prevention and control of water pollution for vessels operating on inland rivers.

A section on legal liability and supplementary provisions elaborates on legal liability related to ecological protection and green, low-carbon development. It also addresses environmental issues closely related to daily life and work, such as light pollution.