On October 24th, the Sixth Meeting of the Standing Committee of the 14th National People's Congress revised and adopted the Marine Environment Protection Law of the People's Republic of China (referred to as “Marine Environment Protection Law”), which will come into implementation as of January 1, 2024. The revised Marine Environment Protection Law has the following highlights:

1.Strengthening land-sea coordination, regional linkage, and enhancing administration and control over rivers flowing into sea, proposing clear requirements over control of river-mouth water quality, and, promotingthe construction of land-based facilities for controlling ocean garbage. For example, coordinate the prevention and control of pollutionin rivers flowing into sea, so that the water quality at the river mouth meets the relevant environmental quality requirements (Article 50); plan and build land-based facilities for receiving, transporting, and processing marine garbage.

2.Improving the monitoring and environmental impact assessment system, increasing commendation and rewards, strengthening supervision and safeguarding of the marine environment and enhancing the administrationcapability for marine environment supervision. For example, promote integrated, coordinated and routine monitoring(Article 25); commending and rewarding units and individuals who have made significant achievements in marine environment protection in accordance with relevant national regulations (Article 11).

3.Strengthening marine biodiversity protection, scientifically carrying out marine ecological restoration, and enhancingthe supervision, guidance, and safeguarding of marine garbage pollution control(Article 57).

4.Improving the control system for permits of marine pollutiondischarge, and strengthening the control requirements related to marine environment quality and pollutant emissions. Clarify the State’sstrengthening of the control of marine environmental quality and the promotion of comprehensive administration of sea areas, the strict administration of marine pollution discharge permits, and the improvement of the marine environmental quality of key marine areas. Enterprises, institutions, and other producers and operators subject to pollution discharge permit shall comply with the discharge quantity limits for pollutants specified in the pollution discharge permit (Article 19). Provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the Central Government for the basins of river that flow into sea shall strengthen the administration and control of total nitrogen and total phosphorus emissions into sea in accordance with relevant regulations of the State, and shall formulate control plans and organize their implementation.

Before this revision, China revised the Law in 1999 and made three amendments in 2013, 2016, and 2017.