EU-China Environmental Governance Programme

The EU-China Environmental Governance Programme (EGP) is a €15 million EU-funded programme implemented with China’s Ministry of Commerce and the Ministry of Environmental Protection. The programme is carried out by the Policy Research Center for Environment and Economy (PRCEE) and runs from December 2010 until Dec 2015. The objective of the Programme is to enhance environmental governance in the People’s Republic of China based upon the principles of the Aarhus Convention. It comprises four themes:

1. Public access to environmental information

2. Public participation in environmental planning and decision making

3. Access to justice in environmental matters

4. Corporate environmental responsibility

The Programme comprise two parts: A National-level component and Local Component.

- The Local Component comprises 15 local partnership projects in which European entities work together with local governments in different parts of China. Each partnership project introduces a European approach to one of the fours themes indicated above in order to test and put into practice new ideas on environmental governance. For details, please click here

- The National-level Component acts as an umbrella to the Local Component and extracts and brings the results and policy implications of the partnership projects to a platform set by the Ministry of Environmental Protection. These are used for consideration in policy modification and for replication in other parts of China.

The key elements of the context for the implementation of EGP's "Overall Work Plan" (OWP) and its first Annual Work Plan (AWP1) consists of the MEP's commitment to improving environment governance capacity, it's specific priorities in the Programme's core themes, the environmental and other relevant sections of PR China 12th 5YDP and the Ministry's own Five Year Plans - and the existing body of Environmental Legislation and legal framework for the environmental sector in China. To understand this context thoroughly, the formulation of the OWP and AWP1 has benefited from direct intense consultations with Central level policy makers and local-level authorities and environmental managers held during the Programme's inception phase.

The main "results" prescribed by the Programmes design and monitoring matrix ("logical framework") are applicable to Component 2 – but of these five results, the last may be the most directly applicable target for that component’s activities.

1、Administration( implementation) of environmental policy and law is improved through enhanced public participation and coherent and relevant local legislation

2、Improved access to justice on environmental matters for government and public

3、The role of beneficiaries (pubic, civil society, local government) in environmental and development planning and decision-making at local levels is improved through awareness and enhanced access to adequate information.

4、The private sector is engaged in proactive and sustainable practices and the use of market-based instruments has been increased

5、Central policy and legal framework is improved through support to central government in enhancing public access to information, public participation in environmental decision making and access to justice.