The General Office of the State Council issued a circular on March 9, outlining the requirements for implementing the 2020 Guiding Catalogue for Integrated Administrative Law Enforcement in Ecological and Environmental Protection, which was approved by the State Council.

The catalogue mainly sets out administrative penalties and compulsory administrative measures introduced to protect ecology and the environment according to Chinese laws and administrative regulations.

Each administrative penalty and compulsory administrative measure should have a legitimate source. Those without any current law or regulation to justify them should be removed. To retain or add any penalties or measures in the catalogue, their legality, rationality and necessity are subject to item-by-item reviews.

When handling illegal behaviors mentioned in the catalogue, law enforcement officers should assume clear responsibilities corresponding to their powers.

Protection of ecology and the environment requires uniform work procedures and instructions with openness, transparency and efficiency, the circular said.

To facilitate work, relevant government departments should enhance cross-departmental engagement and coordination.

For supervision, actions, links and results in the whole enforcement process should be documented online.

As part of the nation’s efforts to reform law enforcement in ecological and environmental protection, government departments in charge should focus on issues closely related to the concerns of market players and the public.

Those departments also need to push forward institutional reforms and transform their functions to ensure better ecological law enforcement.