Vice Minister Zhou Jian Meets with the European Chamber Go back »

2007-01-21 | Beijing

Vice Minister Zhou Jian Meets with the European Chamber

Mr. Zhou Jian, Vice Minister of the Chinese State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA), met with Mr. Serge Janssens de Varebeke, President of the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China and a delegation of Working Group representatives on 23rd January 2007. Senior leaders from SEPA’s departments of Pollution Control, International Cooperation as well as Science, Technology and Standards were also present at the meeting. This was the first high-level meeting of the two parties.

The discussion was based on the relevant environmental areas from the Chamber’s annual Position Paper. Topics covered a wide range of issues; from energy efficiency and clean and sustainable energy development to emission of pollutants. The participants also discussed Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) procedures, registration and transportation of toxic chemicals, fuel quality, emissions testing, the benefits of diesel usage, cooperation on REACH, and EIPCC permits. Other topics included corporate social responsibility, resource recycling, SEPA’s environmental targets within the 11th 5 year plan and public health and safety issues.

Mr. Zhou was impressed by the Chamber’s Working Groups’ specialist knowledge of their industries as well as about China. He said that in the process of the country’s urbanisation, industrialisation and social and economic development, China will do its best to take environment issues into consideration. SEPA looks forward to further cooperation with the European Chamber in the next few years. Mr. Zhou pointed out that cooperation with European companies in areas including improving energy efficiency, reducing emission of pollutants and developing clean energy is expected.

Mr. Zhou agreed with the proposals put forward by the Chamber’s Working Group specialists such as seminars on environment impact assessment and suggestions concerning chemical product management and expects the cooperation to start as soon as possible.

Mr. Janssens expressed the Chamber’s appreciation of Mr. Zhou and SEPA’s input in the environmental protection dialogue. Both parties look forward to further discussion and cooperation in the future.

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