중국은 1978년에 수정된 헌법에서 “국가는 환경과 자연자원을 보호하고, 오염과 기타 공해를 예방 및 관리한다”라고 규정하여 최초로 환경보호를 헌법에 도입하였으며, 이를 바탕으로 1979년 환경보호법을 시범적으로 도입한 후 1989년에는 환경보호법을 정식으로 입법하였다. 또한 중국은 국내 입법을 비롯하여 국제회의 참석과 국제협정 체결을 통해 국제사회와 환경보호를 위해 다양한 협력을 하고 있다. 2014년 4월 개정된 신환경보호법은 “생태문명 건설”을 입법 이념으로 하여 기존의 환경보호법을 대폭 수정하여 제정하였으며 중국 환경보호법 역사에 한 획을 그었다고 할 수 있다. 중국 신환경보호법의 주요 특징은 다음과 같다. 첫째, 생태문명 건설을 입법 이념으로 하면서 환경보호 우선원칙, 예방위주원칙, 종합관리원칙, 대중참여원칙, 피해책임 및 배상원칙등 5대 기본원칙을 규정하였다. 둘째, 환경보호 주체가 기업과 생산 경영자에서 정부기관, 대중, 기타사회 단체까지 포함 시켜서 환경보호의 주체들이 전반적으로 확대되었다. 셋째, 환경관리 기관이 환경 위법행위 적발시 봉인ㆍ압류할 수 있고, 공무원 인사 고과에 환경보호 분야를 포함 시켰으며, 전국적으로 환경조사 측정소를 설치하면서 환경관리와 감독의 방식이 전환하게 되었다. 넷째, 기업에 대해서는 1일 기준 벌금 부과, 공장의 영업정지와 폐업, 구류 처벌등을 할 수 있고, 공무원에 대해서는 직급 강등, 직위해제, 면직 및 권고사직도 가능할 수 있을 정도로 기업과 정부에 대한 환경 책임이 상당히 강화되었다. 다섯째, 공민, 법인 및 기타 조직은 법에 근거하여 환경정보를 획득 할 수 있고 환경보호에 대한 참여 및 감독이 가능하며, 정부와 기업의 정보공개 규정을 두고 있으며 환경사회단체(NGO)의 구체적인 조건도 명시하였다. 25년 만에 개정된 신환경보호법은 역사상 가장 엄격하다는 평가를 받고 있으면서 중국 정부가 관련 입법과 법집행을 강력하게 추진하고 있지만 부족한 부분들이 있는 것도 현실이다. 본 논문에서는 중국 환경보호법의 문제점과 해결방안을 중심으로 연구하였다.
Chinese government has introduced the environmental protection law in the amended constitution in 1978 stating “The state must protect its environment and natural resources where it also should regulate and prevent pollution and other damages to the environment” for the first time after constitution, where upon this law the environment protection law has been formally signed into the constitution in 1989 after the start of demonstration of the law in 1979. In addition to the national legislation, China has been participating in various international conferences and signing international agreements for cooperation of environmental protection and for the international economy and society. The new environmental protection law revised in April 2014 base its legislation ideology on the “Construction of Ecological Civilization” and has been greatly revised and enacted from the previous environmental protection law, which can be seen as one of the most significant movement in China's environmental protection law history. The new environmental protection law's main characteristics are the following. Firstly, There are five basic principles of regulation while having the “Construction of Ecological Civilization” as the legislation basis, which are keeping priority of environmental protection, precaution crucial, integrated management, public participation and liability for damage. Secondly, the main agents of environmental protection has been expanded overall from corporates, operators and manufacturers to government and the public, including many other social communities. Thirdly, the supervision and management of environmental protection experienced a positive turning point where environmental protection management institution can order seizure and sealing of corporates when violation of environmental protection law occurs, environmental protection field has been included in performance evaluation of public officers of China and environmental investigation measurement offices being built around the nation with the new legislation. Fourthly, the environmental responsibility of the government and the corporates has been reinforced as government can impose fine on corporates with fines calculated on a daily basis, can suspend production, operation, order closure of business or execute confinement transferred by the police department according to the regulation they violate. Environmental effects evaluation institute, environmental investigation measurement institutes, environmental investigation equipment or facility related institutes will be jointly held responsible to the violated corporates they are involved with, and the public officers involved can be demoted, released from position or dismissed from the workplace where advisory resignation can also be imposed on the public officer that has significant responsibility. Lastly, citizens of China, corporates and other organizations can obtain environmental information and participate and supervise in environmental protection in accordance with the legislation, which holds regulation on the government and corporates about public disclosure of information and on the specific conditions about the environmental NGOs. The new environmental protection law has been reformed for the first time after 25 years and it is renowned for being the most strict in its history with the Chinese government strongly pushing forward the related legislation and law enforcement. However, the fact that minor flaws and defects exist cannot be denied. This thesis/paper includes research focused on the problems and resolutions of the decentralization of environmental authority in the central and local areas, effective business cooperation between environmental management institutions, reinforcement on management and supervision of environmental management institutions, maladjustments and execution power of China's