Moratorium on EIA Approvals: China's New Environmental Law Enforcement Tool

摘要

This article reviews the moratoria on environmental impact assessment (EIA) approvals, a new environmental enforcement tool developed and taken by the State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA) of China. Faced with escalating environmental problems, the central government adopted several laws, regulations, and policies to reduce pollution and conserve natural resources. However, the conflict between the central government and local governments frequently makes the actions of the central government less effective than desired. Since January 10, 2007, the SEPA has begun a daring and controversial measure, called the moratorium on EIA approvals, for the purpose of effectively enforcing environmental laws and regulations. This measure has achieved much success, but there is still much to do to improve this enforcement tool.