Premier Wen Jiabao of the State Council chaired an executive meeting of the State Council on September 7 to listen to the briefings on environmental protection of the Bohai Sea, and study and arrange key work for environmental protection.

　　The environmental protection situation of the Bohai Sea was analyzed at the meeting and the following objectives of the next few years were identified: ensuring ecological security of the Bohai Sea, reducing total discharge of pollutants, and striving for the overall improvement of coastal marine water quality of the Bohai Sea and the harmony between man and the sea.

　　To this end, the following steps are to be followed: first, to strengthen planning and guidance to optimize industrial structure and layout; second, more effort should be made in pollution control to effectively control pollution sources; third, measures are to be taken to protect and restore ecosystems of the Bohai Sea. Ecological red lines in sensitive and key marine areas are to defined; fourth, risk control is to be enhanced to effectively prevent marine environment disasters; fifth, there is a need to enhance the sense of responsibility and legal awareness of local governments and enterprises to carry out the responsibility of marine environment protection; sixth, we should enhance publicity and education. An open and transparent information releasing mechanism should be established and social supervision should be proceeded.

　　The meeting discussed the suggestions on further strengthening environmental protection. It was stressed that it is necessary to put pollution control and ecological conservation at a more important place and practically address striking environmental problems that threaten public health and affect scientific development. At present, we should do the following major activities:

　　i. strictly carry out EIA system;

　　ii. practically strengthen prevention and control of heavy metal pollution;

　　iii. carry out strict environmental management on chemicals;

　　iv. enhance rural environmental protection;

　　v. speed up the development of environment monitoring and early warning system, improve emergency response mechanism for environmental pollution accidents and the capacity in emergency management, and practically prevent environmental risks;

　　vi. improve environment law and policy system. In view of the problems reflected by various environmental events that have occurred recently, we should develop and amend relevant laws and regulations as soon as possible, provide more comprehensive and effective legal guarantee for environmental protection.