China increases environmental protection through public interest litigations

BEIJING -- China's procuratorial organs will step up efforts to boost environmental protection, as well as food and drug safety through filing public interest litigations, according to the Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP).

The SPP has decided to launch a three-year supervision campaign to target illegal acts that endanger the public interest in the fields of environmental protection, as well as food and drug safety.

The campaign, which will run from July 2020 to June 2023, will focus on important cases and resolve problems that harm the public interest, the SPP said.

As per the event schedule, from July 2020 to December 2021, procuratorial organs across China will strengthen supervision in six areas:

-- illegal discharge of pollutants into waters;

-- illegal collection, storage, transportation, utilization and disposal of solid waste;

-- illegal generation and discharge of mine tailings;

-- disruption of wildlife protection;

-- online and offline sales of edible agricultural products and food that fail to meet safety standards;

-- misinformation and illegal advertising on health food.

According to the SPP, among the areas that will draw special attention from procuratorial organs are the food safety regulatory loopholes relevant to new forms of online sales, such as internet influencer marketing and live-streaming shopping.