Environmental Protection Industry
Updated: 2006-04-18 11:30
The Environmental Protection Industry's WTO Commitments
The list of service trades in the legal documentation of China's accession to
the World Trade Organization (WTO) has made relative commitments to
environmental protection services.
The commitments indicate that after
China's entry into the WTO, the Chinese government will permit foreign service
providers to engage in environmental services as joint ventures; the majority
share will be permitted in the area of environmental protection services,
including emissions of pollutants, treatment services of solid wastes and
exhaust gases, reduction of noise, protection of nature and scenic sites, as
well as other environmental protection and sanitary services.
Environmental
monitoring and inspecting pollution-causing resources are not included.
During the Tenth Five-Year Plan (2001-2005), demand for investments in
China's environmental industry is estimated to climb to 700 billion yuan
(US$84.33 billion), and a vast market will emerge. The State Environmental
Protection Administration will encourage foreign entrepreneurs and financial
institutions to invest in this industry and promise to carry out the scheduled
commitments regarding the environmental service industry; environmental policies
and regulations will be adjusted and reformed using advanced experiences from
abroad.
On one hand, the Chinese government will become acclimatized to the demand
arising from China's accession to the WTO and strengthen the coordination of
environmental and trade policies, and regulate government behavior in
environmental administration. On the other hand, the country will try its best
to comply with the development trend of world environmental protection and
intensify the stimulating mechanism and transparency of environmental
information.
[Source: State Environmental Protection Administration]
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