Decree No. 559 of the State Council promulgating the Regulation on Environmental Impact Assessment of Planning.

This Regulation aims at strengthening the environmental impact assessment of planning, improving scientific basis of planning, preventing environmental pollution and ecological damage from the source and promoting the overall, harmonious and sustainable development of the economy, society and environment. The Text consists of 36 Articles divided into 6 Chapters: General provisions; Assessment; Examination; Following-up Assessment; Legal liabilities; Supplementary provisions.
The central government and local goverments shall make an environmental impact assessment when organizing the comprehensive planning of land use, and construction, development and utilization of regions, basins and sea areas and relevant special planning of industry, agriculture, stockbreeding, forestry, energy, water resources, transport, urban construction, tourism and development of natural resources. The planning preparation organ shall organize an environmental impact assessment of the planning during the process of formulating the planning. The Regulation further provides for the content of, and the requirements for EIA of planning and the follow-up assessment, the examination procedures, and offences and penalties.