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The Appraisal Center for Environment and Engineering (ACEE) under the Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP) and the Environment Bureau of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region signed a framework agreement in Beijing today (October 15) to strengthen exchange and co-operation in environmental impact assessment (EIA).
The agreement was jointly signed by the Permanent Secretary for the Environment, Ms Anissa Wong, and the Director General of the ACEE under the Ministry of Environmental Protection, Mr Cui Shuhong, and witnessed by the Vice-Minister of the MEP, Mr Pan Yue.
The agreement sets out the areas of co-operation on EIA in the three years from 2015 to 2018, which include:
* Exchange on practical experiences in the field of EIA management;
* Experience sharing on subjects related to environmental permits, public engagement and environmental litigation;
* Joint case studies to further improve the EIA procedures and relevant systems in both places; and
* Joint exploration of international advanced concepts in EIA management, and development of staff exchange and professional training programmes.
During her stay in Beijing, Ms Wong met with Mr Pan Yue and representatives of the General Office of the Department of International Cooperation and the Department of Nature and Ecology Conservation, Division of Biodiversity Conservation under the MEP; the Beijing Municipal Environmental Protection Bureau; and the Beijing Municipal Commission of City Administration and Environment. They exchanged views on environmental co-operation between Hong Kong and the Mainland, waste management and ecological conservation. She also visited the MEP's Environmental Conventions Building to learn more about energy-saving measures and waste management facilities in Beijing. Ms Wong will return to Hong Kong tonight.
Ends/Thursday, October 15, 2015
Issued at HKT 16:49
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