Decree of the State Council of the People's Republic of China
The People's Republic of China
Decree of the State Council of the People's Republic of China
No. 431
Regulations on Letters and Visits, adopted at the 76th Executive Meeting of the State Council on January 5, 2005, are hereby promulgated and shall be effective as of May 1, 2005.
Premier Wen Jiabao
January 10, 2005
Regulations on Letters and Visits
(Adopted at the 76th Executive Meeting of the State Council on January 5, 2005, promulgated by Decree No. 431 of the State Council of the People's Republic of China on January 10, and effective as of May 1, 2005)
Chapter I General Provisions
Article 1 These Regulations are formulated for the purposes of enhancing relations between the people's governments at all levels and the people, protecting the lawful rights and interests of letter-writers and visitors, and maintaining a good order in letter-writing and visiting.
Article 2 The term "letters and visits" in these Regulations means that citizens, legal persons or other organizations give information, make comments or suggestions or lodge complaints to the people's governments at all levels and the relevant departments of the people's governments at or above the county level through correspondence, E-mails, faxes, phone calls, visits, and so on, which are dealt with by the relevant administrative departments according to law.
A citizen, legal person or any other organization that gives information, makes comments or suggestions or lodges complaints by such means as prescribed in the preceding paragraph is defined as a letter-writer or visitor.
Article 3 The people's governments at all levels and the relevant departments of the people's governments at or above the county level shall effectively handle letters and visits by conscientiously dealing with letters, receiving visitors, heeding people's comments, suggestions and complaints and accepting their supervision, so that the people's interests are best served.
The people's governments at all levels and the relevant departments of the people's governments at or above the county level shall keep free-flowing channels for letter-writers and visitors and provide convenience for the letter-writers or visitors who give information, make comments or suggestions, or lodge complaints by such means as prescribed in these Regulations.
No organization or individual may retaliate against letter-writers or visitors.
Article 4 The work regarding letters and visits shall be done under the leadership of the people's governments at all levels and in adherence to the principles of territorial jurisdiction, responsibilities assumed at different levels, the department in charge being the department responsible and combination of the need to solve problems lawfully, timely and locally with persuasion.
Article 5 The people's governments at all levels and the relevant departments of the people's governments at or above the county level shall make policy decisions in a scientific and democratic manner, perform their duties according to law and prevent contradictions and disputes at source from leading to letters and visits.
Any people's government at or above the county level shall establish a work pattern for letters and visits characterized by unified leadership, coordination among different departments, overall planning and all-round consideration, seeking both temporary and permanent solution, each assuming its own responsibilities and joining efforts with others for the common goal, and it shall resolve contradictions and disputes in a timely manner by holding joint meetings and setting up a mechanism for making investigation and coordination and handling letters and visits and a working system of supervision in this respect.
Responsible persons of the people's governments at all levels and the relevant departments of the people's governments at or above the county level shall read letters for important issues and give written instructions on them, receive visitors for important issues, listen to reports on the work regarding letters and visits, and study and solve overriding problems in such work.
Article 6 Any people's government at or above the county level shall set up a department for letters and visits. The relevant department of the people's government at or above the county level and the people's government of the town or township shall, according to the principles of facilitating work and creating convenience for letter-writers and visitors, respectively assign a unit responsible for the work regarding letters and visits (hereinafter referred to as the unit for letters and visits) or individuals the specific reasonability for work in this field.
The department for letters and visits of the people's government at or above the county level is the administrative department of the people's government at the corresponding level which is responsible for the work regarding letters and visits and performs the following duties:
(1) to accept the letter-or-visit matter presented by a letter-writer or visitor, transmit it to another organ, or assign another organ to handle it;
(2) to handle the letter-or-visit matter handed over by the people's government at a higher level or at the corresponding level;
(3) to coordinate efforts in handling important letter-or-visit matters;
(4) to urge and examine the handling of letter-or-visit matters;
(5) to study and analyze both letters and visits, conduct investigation and study and, in a timely manner, make suggestions on improving policies and work to the people's government at the corresponding level; and
(6) to provide guidance to other relevant departments of the people's government at the corresponding level and the departments or units for letters and visits of the people's governments at lower levels in their work regarding letters and visits.
Article 7 The people's governments at all levels shall establish and improve the responsibility system for letters and visits, and shall, in strict accordance with the provisions of the relevant laws, administrative regulations and these Regulations, investigate the individuals who are responsible for malfeasance or dereliction of duty committed in the work regarding letters and visits and circulate a notice of the matter within an appropriate scope.
The people's governments at all levels shall incorporate the achievements scored in the work regarding letters and visits into the performance assessment of public servants.
Article 8 The relevant administrative organ or unit shall give rewards to the letter-writer or visitor who, by giving information or presenting comments or suggestions in its letter or visit, has made contributions to the national economic and social development, and to the improvement of the work of State organs and the protection of public interests.
The relevant administrative organ shall give rewards to the unit or individual that has scored outstanding achievements in the work regarding letters and visits.
Chapter II Channels for Letters and Visits
Article 9 The people's governments at all levels and the relevant departments of the people's governments at or above the county level shall make known to the public such matters as the correspondence and E-mail addresses, telephone numbers for complaints, time and places for receiving letters and visitors, methods of inquiring about the progress and results of the letter-or-visit matters handled.
The people's governments at all levels and the relevant departments of the people's governments at or above the county level shall, at the places for receiving letters and visitors or at the websites, make known to the public the laws, regulations and rules, the procedures for handling letter-or-visit matters and other matters concerning provision of convenience to letter-writers and visitors.
Article 10 The people's governments at the level of a city divided into districts and those at the county level and their relevant departments and the people's governments of towns or townships shall establish the system of reception day on which the responsible persons of administrative organs read letters and receive visitors, and coordinate efforts in handling letter-or-visit matters. Letter-writers and visitors can report letter-or-visit matters face to face to the responsible persons of the administrative organs at the publicized reception place on the publicized reception day.
Responsible persons of the people's government at or above the county level and of the relevant departments of the said government or the individuals designated by them may go to the places where the letter-writers or visitors live to talk to them face to face and exchange views with them with regard to the overriding problems they have reported.
Article 11 The department for letters and visits of the State shall, by making full use of the existing network resources for governmental affairs information, establish a national information system for letters and visits, in order to provide convenience for letter-writers and visitors to present letter-or-visit matters and inquire about the handling of the letters and visits locally.
The local people's government at or above the county level shall, by making full use of the existing network resources for governmental affairs information, establish or designate the information system for letters and visits within its administrative areas and connect its information system for letters and visits with those of the people's governments at higher levels, their relevant departments and the people's governments at lower levels.
Article 12 The department for letters and visits or any other relevant departments of the people's government at or above the county level shall, in a timely manner, input the complaint lodged by a letter-writer or visitor into the information system for letters and visits. The letter-writer or visitor may, on the strength of the complaint acceptance certificate issued by the administrative organ, go to the department for letters and visits or the reception place of the relevant department of the local people's government to inquire about the handling of the complaint. The specific measures and procedures therefor shall respectively be formulated by the people's government of a province, autonomous region or municipality directly under the Central Government.
Article 13 In light of the actual needs in the work regarding letters and visits, the people's governments at the level of a city divided into districts and those at the county level may establish a working mechanism in which the government plays the leading role and all sectors of society take part and which facilitates rapid settlement of disputes.
The departments and units for letters and visits shall organize the relevant public organizations, legal aid agencies, professionals, volunteers and others to joint efforts in handling complaints lodged by letter-writers and visitors in a lawful, timely and reasonable way through advice, education, consultation, mediation, hearing, or by other means.
Chapter III Presenting Letter-or-visit Matters
Article 14 Where a letter-writer or visitor gives information or makes comments or suggestions on the performance of duties by the following organizations or individuals, or is not satisfied with the performance of duties by the following organizations or individuals, it may present letter-or-visit matters to the relevant administrative organs:
(1) administrative organs or their staff members;
(2) organizations that are authorized by laws or regulations to perform the functions of administration of public affairs, or their staff members;
(3) enterprises or institutions providing public service, or their staff members;
(4) individuals in public organizations or other enterprises or institutions who are appointed or dispatched by administrative organs of the State; and
(5) villagers' committees, residents' committees or their members.
With regard to the complaints that shall be handled according to law through litigation, arbitration, administrative reconsideration or other statutory means, the letter-writer or visitor shall present them to the relevant organs according to the procedures as provided for by the relevant laws and administrative regulations.
Article 15 With regard to a letter-or-visit matter that falls within the scope of the functions and powers of the people's congresses at all levels, the standing committee of the people's congress at or above the county level, the people's court or the people's procuratorate, the letter-writer or visitor shall present it to the people's congress, its standing committee, people's court or people's procuratorate respectively and abide by the provisions of Articles 16, 17, 18, 19 and 20 of these Regulations.
Article 16 Where a letter-writer or visitor intends to present a letter-or-visit matter through visit, it shall present the letter-or-visit matter to the organ at the corresponding level or the next higher level that, according to law, has the power to handle the letter-or-visit matter. If a letter-or-visit matter has been accepted or is in the process of being handled and the letter-writer or visitor, before the expiration of the time limit, presents the same letter-or-visit matter to the organ at the higher level of the organ that has accepted and is handling the letter-or-visit matter, the former shall not accept the letter-or-visit matter.
Article 17 A letter-writer or visitor shall, in general, present a letter-or-visit matter through correspondence, E-mail, fax or any other written form. Where it lodges a complaint, it shall, in addition, state clearly its name (title), address, requests, the facts and reasons.
With regard to the oral presentation of a complaint, the relevant organ shall record the name (title) and address of the letter-writer or visitor, its requests, the facts and reasons.
Article 18 Where a letter-writer or visitor who intends to present a letter-or-visit matter through visit, it shall go to the reception place established or designated by the organ concerned.
Where two or more letter-writers or visitors intend to present the same letter-or-visit matter through visit, they shall choose representatives, and the number of representatives shall not exceed five.
Article 19 A letter-writer or visitor shall be objective in presenting letter-or-visit matters, the letter-or-visit matters presented shall be true to facts, and it shall be responsible for the truthfulness of the contents of the materials it provides. It shall not make up stories, distort facts, frame or bring a false charge against others.
Article 20 Letter-writers and visitors shall, in the course of writing letters or making visits, abide by laws and regulations, shall not harm the interests of the State, society or the collective or infringe upon the lawful rights of other citizens, shall conscientiously maintain public order and the order in handling letters and visits, and shall not commit any of the following acts:
(1) illegally assembling around offices of State organs or public places, encircling and attacking State organs, intercepting official vehicles, or jamming and obstructing traffic;
(2) carrying dangerous articles or tools under control;
(3) humiliating, beating up or threatening functionaries of State organs or illegally restricting other people's freedom of the individual;
(4) staying and making trouble at the reception places for letters and visits, or leaving the individuals who are unable to look after themselves at such places;
(5) inciting, colluding with, coercing or enticing with money or things of value others to write letters or make visits, or manipulating from behind the scenes others into doing so, or taking advantage of letters and visits to accumulate wealth; or
(6) committing other acts that disrupt public order or impair national or public security.
Chapter IV Accepting Letter-or-visit Matters
Article 21 The department for letters and visits of the people's government at or above the county level shall, upon receiving a letter or visit, register the letter-or-visit matter presented and handle it on the merits of each case within 15 days in the following ways:
(1) With regard to a letter-or-visit matter specified in Article 15 of these Regulations, notify the letter-writer or visitor that it presents such matter to the people's congresses or its standing committee, people's court or people's procuratorate respectively; and reject the matter which has been or shall be handled according to law through litigation, arbitration, administrative reconsideration or any other statutory means, while notifying the letter-writer or visitor that it presents the matter to the organ concerned according to the procedures as provided for by the relevant laws or administrative regulations.
(2) With regard to a letter-or-visit matter which shall be handled and decided on by the people's government at the corresponding level or the department thereof according to their statutory functions and duties, transfer such matter to the administrative organ which has the power to handle it; or make timely suggestions and submit such matter to the people's government at the corresponding level for decision in case of any important or urgent matter.
(3) With regard to a letter-or-visit matter which involves an administrative organ at a lower level or its staff members, directly transfer such matter to the administrative organ which has the power to handle it according to the principles of territorial jurisdiction, responsibilities assumed at different levels, and the department in charge being the department responsible, and send a copy of the matter to the department or unit for letters and visits of the people's government at the next lower level.
The department for letters and visits of the people's government at or above the county level shall notify such department or unit of the people's government at the next lower level of the matter transferred regularly, and the department or unit for letters and visits of the people's government at a lower level shall report to such department of the people's government at the next higher level about the handling of the transferred matter regularly.
(4) With regard to any important matter among the letter-or-visit matters transferred and feedback on the results of the handling of which is required, send it directly to the administrative organ which has the power to handle it, and ask the organ to feed back the results within the designated time limit for handling it and submit reports on the results of the handling.
Within 15 days from the date the letter-or-visit matter is transferred or assigned thereto according to the provisions of Items (2) to (4) of the preceding paragraph, the administrative organ concerned shall decide whether to accept the matter and notify the letter-writer or visitor of the decision in writing, and inform the department or unit for letters and visits of its decision as required.
Article 22 With regard to a letter-or-visit matter which is directly presented to the administrative organ other than the departments or unit for letters and visits of the people's governments at different levels by a letter-writer or visitor according to the provisions of these Regulations, the administrative organ concerned shall register such matter. A letter-or-visit matter that conforms to the provisions of the first paragraph of Article 14 of these Regulations and falls within the scope of the statutory functions and powers of the said organ shall be accepted by it; and it shall not shift the responsibility onto other organs, take a perfunctory attitude or delay handling the matter. If a letter-or-visit matter does not fall within the scope of the functions and powers of the said organ, it shall notify the letter-writer or visitor that it presents the matter to the organ which has the power to handle the matter.
Where, upon receiving a letter-or-visit matter, the administrative organ concerned can, on the spot, decide whether to accept it, the said organ shall do so in writing. If such decision can not be made on the spot, the said organ shall, within 15 days from the date of receipt of the matter, notify the letter-writer or visitor in writing, unless the name (title) or address of the letter-writer or visitor is unclear.
Relevant administrative organs shall notify each other of the letter-or-visit matters they have accepted.
Article 23 The administrative organ and its staff members shall not divulge or transmit the materials of accusation or exposure or the relevant information provided by a letter-writer or visitor to the individual or department accused or exposed.
Article 24 Where a letter-or-visit matter involves two or more administrative organs, it shall be handled by them through consultation. If disagreement arises in handling of the matter, their common administrative organ at the next higher level shall decide on which organ handles the matter.
Article 25 Where an administrative organ is split up, merges with another or is dissolved, the letter-or-visit matters on which it shall make a decision shall be handled by the administrative organ which continues to perform its functions and powers. If the functions and duties are unclear, the people's government at the corresponding level or the organ designated by such government shall handle the matter.
Article 26 When a citizen, legal person or any other organization discovers an important or urgent letter-or-visit matter or information which may exert an influence on society, it may report the matter to the relevant administrative organ nearby. After receiving such report, the local people's governments at different levels shall immediately report to the people's government at the next higher level and, if necessary, circulate a notice of such matter among the competent departments. After receiving the report, the relevant department of the local people's government at or above the county level shall immediately report to the people's government at the corresponding level and to the competent department at the next higher level and, if necessary, circulate a notice of such matter among the competent departments. After receiving the report, the relevant department of the State Council shall immediately report to the State Council and, if necessary, circulate a notice among the competent departments.
The administrative organ shall not conceal, give a false report about or delay reporting any important or urgent letter-or-visit matter and information or incite others to do so.
Article 27 With regard to important or urgent letter-or-visit matters and information which may exert an influence on society, the administrative organ concerned shall, within the scope of its functions and duties and according to law, take timely measures to prevent the occurrence and extension of adverse influence.
Chapter V Handling, and Supervising and Urging the Handling of Letter-or-visit Matters
Article 28 In handling the letter-or-visit matters presented by a letter-writer or visitor, the administrative organ and its staff members shall perform their duties whole-heartedly, handle the matters impartially, ascertain the facts, clearly distinguish the responsibilities, publicize the legal system, conduct persuasion and handle the matter properly in a timely manner, and they shall not shift the responsibility onto others, take a perfunctory attitude or delay handling the matters.
Article 29 Where the information given by a letter-writer or visitor or the comments or suggestions made thereby are beneficial to improvement of the work of the administrative organ and to promotion of national economic and social development, the relevant administrative organ shall conscientiously study, evaluate and unhesitatingly accept them.
Article 30 The staff member of an administrative organ who has a direct interest in the letter-or-visit matter presented by a letter-writer or visitor or with the letter-writer or visitor shall recuse himself.
Article 31 In handling the letter-or-visit matter presented by a letter-writer or visitor, the administrative organ which has the power to handle such matter shall heed the facts and reasons stated by the letter-writer or visitor. When necessary, it may ask the letter-writer or visitor, or the organization or individual concerned to give an explanation; and where further verification is needed, it may conduct investigation among other organizations or individuals.
A hearing may be held for important, complicated or difficult letter-or-visit matters, and the hearing shall be open to the public to ascertain the facts and clearly distinguish the responsibilities through inquiry, debate, appraisal or judgment by a collegiate group. The people's government of a province, autonomous region, or municipality directly under the Central Government shall respectively prescribe the scope of hearings, presiding officer, participants, procedures and other things.
Article 32 Through investigation and verification, the administrative organ which has the power to handle the letter-or-visit matter presented by a letter-writer or visitor shall make the following decisions according to the relevant laws, regulations, rules and other provisions and give a written reply to the letter-writer or visitor:
(1) to support the request if it is based on clear facts and conforms to laws, regulations, rules and other provisions;
(2) to make an ample explanation to the letter-writer or visitor if the request is reasonable but lacks legal basis; or
(3) not to support the request if it is not based on facts or does not conform to laws, regulations, rules or other provisions.
Where the administrative organ which has the power to handle the matter decides to support the request according to the provisions of Item (1) of the preceding paragraph, it shall urge the relevant organs or units to execute its decision.
Article 33 The matter presented by a letter-writer or visitor shall be handled within 60 days from the date it is accepted. If the matter is complicated, the time limit for handling it may be extended appropriately upon the approval by the responsible person of the administrative organ concerned, but the period extended shall not exceed 30 days, and the letter-writer or visitor shall be notified of the reasons for such extension. Where laws or administrative regulations provide otherwise, the provisions therein shall prevail.
Article 34 Where a letter-writer or visitor is not satisfied with the decision made by an administrative organ on the handling of the letter-or-visit matter, it may, within 30 days from the date of receipt of the written reply, request the administrative organ at the next higher level of the original administrative organ that has handled the matter to reexamine the matter. The administrative organ which has received the request for reexamination shall, within 30 days from the date of receipt of the request, make a decision after reexamination and give a written reply.
Article 35 Where a letter-writer or visitor is not satisfied with the decision made after reexamination, it may, within 30 days from the date of receipt of the written reply, request for review from the administrative organ at the next higher level of the reexamination organ. The administrative organ which has received the request for review shall, within 30 days from the date of receipt of the request, make a decision after review.
The review organ may, according to the second paragraph of Article 31 of these Regulations, hold a hearing, and the review decision made through hearing may be made known to the public according to law. The time needed for hearing shall not be calculated in the time limit prescribed in the preceding paragraph.
Where the letter-writer or visitor is not satisfied with the review decision and continues to lodge a complaint on the basis of the same facts and reasons, the departments or units for letters and visits of the people's governments at all levels and other administrative organs shall no longer accept the compliant.
Article 36 Where the department for letters and visits of the people's government at or above the county level finds that a relevant administrative organ comes under any of the following circumstances, it shall, without delay, urge such organ to handle the matter concerned and suggest that the said organ make improvement,:
(1) without justifiable reasons, failing to handle the letter-or-visit matter within the prescribed time limit;
(2) failing to give feedback on the results of the handling of the letter-or-visit matter as required;
(3) failing to handle the letter-or-visit matter according to the prescribed procedures;
(4) shifting the responsibility for handling the matter onto other departments, taking a perfunctory attitude, or delaying handling the letter-or-visit matter;
(5) failing to execute the decision on the matter; or
(6) needing urging for other reasons.
Upon receiving the suggestions for improvements, the administrative organ shall, within 30 days, give a feedback in writing on the improvements it has made. If the organ refuses to accept the suggestions, it shall explain the reasons.
Article 37 With regard to any policy problem raised by a letter-writer or visitor, the department for letters and visits of the people's government at or above the county level shall report it to the people's government at the corresponding level in a timely manner and make suggestions as to how to improve the policy and solve the problem.
Article 38 With regard to the staff members of an administrative organ who, in the work regarding letters and visits, cause serious consequences by shifting their responsibilities onto others, taking a perfunctory attitude, delaying handling of matters or practicing fraud, the department for letters and visits of the people's government at or above the county level may make suggestions to the administrative organ concerned to give them administrative sanctions.
Article 39 The department for letters and visits of the people's government at or above the county level shall, regularly, submit analytical reports on letters and visits to the people's government at the corresponding level with regard to the following matters:
(1) statistical data on the letter-or-visit matters accepted, the areas covered by the letter-or-visit matters, and the organs against which a relatively larger number of complaints are lodged;
(2) information about the matters which are transferred for handling or the handling of which is urged, and the suggestions about improvement accepted by different departments; and
(3) the policy suggestions made and accepted.
Chapter VI Legal Liability
Article 40 Where one of the following circumstances leads to the presentation of a letter-or-visit matter, which causes serious consequences, the individual directly in charge and the other individuals directly responsible therefor shall be given an administrative sanction according to the provisions of the relevant laws or administrative regulations; if the act constitutes a crime, they shall be investigated for criminal liability according to law:
(1) The lawful rights and interests of a letter-writer or visitor are infringed upon due to overstepping or abuse of power;
(2) An administrative organ infringes upon the lawful rights and interests of a letter-writer or visitor by doing nothing about what it shall do;
(3) The lawful rights and interests of a letter-writer or visitor is infringed upon due to incorrect application of laws or regulations or violation of statutory procedures; or
(4) The execution of the decision in support of the request of a letter-writer or visitor made by the administrative organ which has the power to handle the matter presented is refused.
Article 41 Where the department for letters and visits of the people's government at or above the county level fails to register the letter-or-visit matter, transfer the matter to another organ or assign another organ to handle the matter as required by regulations, or fails to perform the duties of supervising and urging the handling of the matter as it shall have done, the administrative organ at higher levels shall order it to make corrections; if serious consequences are caused, the individual directly in charge and the other individuals directly responsible therefor shall be given an administrative sanction according to law.
Article 42 Where the administrative organ responsible for accepting letter-or-visit matters, in violation of the provisions of these Regulations, comes under any of the following circumstances in accepting a letter-or-visit matter, the administrative organ at a higher level shall order it to make corrections; if serious consequences are caused, the individual directly in charge and the other individuals directly responsible therefor shall be given an administrative sanction according to law:
(1) failing to register the letter-or-visit matter it has received, as is required by regulations;
(2) refusing to accept the letter-or-visit matter which falls within the scope of its statutory functions and powers; or
(3) failing to inform in writing within the specified time limit the letter-writer or visitor of whether the letter-or-visit matter is accepted.
Article 43 Where the administrative organ which has the power to handle letter-or-visit matters, in violation of the provisions of these Regulations, commits any of the following acts in handling a letter-or-visit matter, the administrative organ at a higher level shall order it to make corrections; if serious consequences are caused, the individual directly in charge and the other individuals directly responsible therefor shall be given an administrative sanction according to law:
(1) shifting the responsibility onto another organ, taking a perfunctory attitude, or delaying handling the letter-or-visit matter, or failing to wind up the handling of the letter-or-visit matter within the statutory time limit; or
(2) failing to support the request which is based on clear facts and conforms to relevant laws, regulations, rules and other provisions.
Article 44 Where the staff member of an administrative organ, in violation of the provisions of these Regulations, divulges or transmits the materials of accusation or exposure and relevant information provided by a letter-writer or visitor to the individual or unit accused or exposed, he shall be given an administrative sanction according to law.
Where the staff member of an administrative organ, in handling a letter-or-visit matter , is rude in his style of work, thus intensifying contradictions and causing serious consequences, he shall be given an administrative sanction according to law.
Article 45 Where an administrative organ and its staff members, in violation of the provisions of Article 26 of these Regulations, conceal, make a false report of or delay reporting the important or urgent letter-or-visit matters or informatinn which may exert an influence on society, or incite another individual to do so, thus causing serious consequences, the individual directly in charge and the other individuals directly responsible therefor shall be given an administrative sanction according to law; if the act constitutes a crime, they shall be investigated for criminal liability according to law.
Article 46 Whoever retaliates against a letter-writer or visitor, thus constituting a crime, shall be investigated for criminal liability according to law; if the act is not serious enough to constitute a crime, he shall be given an administrative or disciplinary sanction according to law.
Article 47 Where a letter-writer or visitor violates the provisions of Article 18 or 20 of these Regulations, the staff member of the State organ concerned shall dissuade, criticize or educate him.
If such dissuasion, criticism or education fails, the public security organ shall warn or admonish the letter-writer or visitor or stop its act. If the letter-writer or visitor violates the laws or administrative regulations on assemblies, processions and demonstrations or if its act constitutes a violation of public security administration, the public security organ shall, according to law, take necessary measures to deal with the case on the spot and impose thereupon an administrative penalty for public security. If the act constitutes a crime, it shall be investigated for criminal liability according to law.
Article 48 Where a letter-writer or visitor makes up a story or distorts facts in an attempt to frame or bring a false charge against another individual, which constitutes a crime, he shall be investigated for criminal liability according to law. If the act is not serious enough to constitute a crime, the public security organ shall impose thereupon an administrative penalty for public security according to law.
Chapter VII Supplementary Provisions
Article 49 Social organizations, enterprises and institutions shall handle letters and visits with reference to these Regulations.
Article 50 The letter-or-visit matters presented by foreigners, stateless individuals or foreign organizations shall be handled with reference to these Regulations.
Article 51 These Regulations shall be effective as of May 1, 2005. The Regulations on Letters and Calls promulgated by the State Council on October 28, 1995 shall be repealed simultaneously.
论我国的环境法制建设
张旭科 郭吉军 龙奎
（中国矿业大学文法学院 江苏徐州 221008）
[内容提要] 环境问题是当今国际社会的普遍问题，这一问题在我国尤为突出，由于特殊的国情，我国的环境问题呈现出与众不同的原因，并且随着西部大开发的逐步深入开展，环境法治也显得尤为迫切，但现行的环境法制建设存在诸多的弊端。本文探讨了我国环境问题的成因的特殊性，并对当今的环境法制建设，提出了一些合理化的建议。
[关键词] 环境 环境法治 环境问题
环境是相对于某一中心事物而言的。与其一中心事物相关的周围事物称为这一中心事物的环境。中心事物不同，环境的概念也就有差异，相对于人类而言，环境是指“影响人类生存和发展的各种天然的和经过人工改造的自然因素的总体，包括大气、水、海洋、土地、矿藏、森林、草原、野生生物、自然遗迹、人文遗迹、自然保护区、风景名胜区、城市和乡村等。”(1)它既包括生活环境，也包括生态环境。环境问题可分为两类，地震、火山、泥石流等自然灾害问题是第一类环境问题，而“由于人类活动作用于人们周围的环境所引起的环境质量变化，以及这种变化反过来对人类的生产、生活和健康所产生的有害影响的现象”（2）是第二类问题，笔者在本文中所要阐述的环境问题也即第二类环境问题。
近几年来，我们国家的环境问题日益突出，已不仅仅是社会发展某一环节问题，而是关系全局发展的重大现实问题，而在市场经济日益成熟，法制建设逐步推进的今天，把环境保护纳入法治进程的轨道，以法治为主的综合治理，应该说是当前环境问题解决的最优方案。本文试就我国的环境问题及环境法治作一下探讨。
一、环境问题的产生和我国环境问题的现状及原因分析
（一）环境问题的产生
环境问题自古有之，它是随着社会生产力的发展而产生发展的，不同的历史时期其环境问题也不相同，依据历史时期的不同，我们可以把环境问题分为两种，一种是传统意义的环境问题，这主要是指在工业革命以前人们对自然资源的不合理开发、利用所导致的环境破坏和资源浪费，即由于过分开垦荒地，滥伐林木、过度放牧，掠夺捕捞等而引起的水土流失、土地沙化、草原退化、水生生物资源日益减少，旱涝灾害频繁等等。例如，“美索不达米亚、希腊、小亚细亚以及其他各地的居民，为了得到耕地，把森林通通给破坏了，但是他们梦想不到是，今天也竟因此成为荒芜不毛之地。因为他们使这些地方失去了森林，也失去了积聚和贮存水分的中心。”另一种就是现代意义上的环境问题，它是指在工业革命之后，随着工农业变速发展和城市化，除了上述自然资源的破坏加剧外，正引起了“三废”（废气、废水、废渣）污染、噪声污染、放射性污染和农药污染等更加严重的环境问题，其污染的广度深度已大大超过了从前所引发的大量的“环境公害”事件（也称环境公众受害，指人们对生活环境和生态环境所造成的社会性危害，包括环境破坏），如大家都知道的1984年12月3日印度博帕尔农药厂毒气渗漏事件和1986年4月26日苏联切尔诺贝核电站放射性泄漏事件，这两起事件到现在让人想起来都还有某种恐惧的感觉。
（二）我国环境问题的现状及原因分析
1、我国环境问题的现状
当前环境的污染和破坏已发展到威胁人类生存和发展的世界性的重大社会问题，人类所面临的新的全球性和广域性环境问题主要有三类：一是全球性广域性的环境污染；二是大面积的生态破坏；三是突发性的严重污染事件。
目前，发达国家当前的环境问题主要是环境污染，发展中国家主要是环境破坏，而在我国，则同时存在着环境破坏和环境污染这两类环境问题，并且已十分严重。据统计，我国是世界上环境污染物排放量最大的国家之一，全国污染物的年排放量达4300余万吨，（其中烟尘约2800万吨，二氧化硫约1460万吨）；1988年全国废水排放总量为368亿吨，其中工业废水排放量为268亿吨，处理率仅为27%，自然生态环境的破坏也相当严重。目前，我国水土流失面积已由解放初期的116万平方公里扩大到150万平方公里。(3)
环境污染和破坏给我国所造成的经济损失是极其惊人的。现在就让我们来看这样一组数据：据80年代初的不完全统计，环境污染每年造成的经济损失是690亿元，部分自然生态环境的破坏每年造成的经济损失达265亿元共计955倔元，约占当年全国工农业总产值的14%左右。从这样一组数据中我们可以很明显地看到，我国严重的环境问题已经严重阻碍了我国国民经济的健康发展，这势必对我国以后经济的发展极为不利。
2、我国环境问题的原因分析
环境问题在我国如此的严重，究其原因应该说是多方面的，既有自然地理因素，亦有经济、人文社会等因素，而且我们国家的具体国情又使其具有特殊性，下面笔者将分别进行一下具体的阐述。
(1)经济因素
目前，我国经济正处于从传统的计划经济向市场经济转轨的时期，同时也是我国经济高速增长的时期，从发达国家经济发展的历史来看，这个阶段正是生态环境问题最严重的时期，因而我国在这一时期承受的生态环境压力会更为沉重。
第一，经济发展引起的环境问题恶化。我国的经济体制改革是对社会生产力的极大解放，这种解放刺激了国民经济的高速增长，但与此同时，对资源开发利用规模和各行业污染物排放量也会随之高速增加。然而，由于国民经济尚处在粗放型向集约型转变的转型时期，人们只关注于经济增长的数字，却往往忽略了其背后所付出的沉重代价：对资源的掠夺式开发造成环境的极大破坏；我国近年来的生态环境问题呈几何级数增长。
第二，经济利益与环境保护的冲突。市场经济发展所追求的是高额利润，是相对少数人的利益，而环境保护则是多数人的利益，二者是对立状态，法律对这种显性冲突的社会关系，比较容易做出规范。而我国经济是以公有制为主体，经济利益的主体和环境利益的主体具有统一性。但近年来，我国农村环境恶化尤为明显，一些乡镇企业的农民为“脱贫致富”，宁肯容忍环境污染对国家、所在集体和本人的损害。对此，国家不得不采取强制措施关闭“十五小”企业。但在一定意义上，政府既是冲突调解者，又常成为冲突的一方（地方利益），违法阵营庞大，法律执行的难度极大。
(2)人文社会因素
“生态学作为一门科学，从它诞生的那一天起，一直就与‘人类社会’结下了不解之缘，如果说前期的生态学更多地显示了自然属性的话，那么现代的生态学，则更强烈地显示了它的社会属性这一面。”(4)环境问题最明显的是人文社会的原因，我国的环境问题，从现行的角度看，这方面的因素影响更为巨大。
第一，我国人口众多，环境的资源压力大，环境问题与人口有着密切的互为因果的联系。在一定社会发展阶段，一定地理环境和生产力水平的条件下，人口增长应有一个适当比例，人口问题与环境问题是当代中国发展面临的重大挑战，庞大的人口数量及快的增长，引发了一系列的社会经济问题，对环境造成了巨大的冲击。可以这样说，我国的人口问题是短时期内很难扭转的最大社会问题之一，这是用不着忌讳的。人口问题导致了我国资源的绝对短缺，因而往往出现了对资源的无节制开发的现象，这种现象伴随着惊人的浪费，给我们经济的可持续发展战略的实施造成了极大的压力。
第二，公众环保意识普遍较差。“所谓环保意识，是指人们在认知环境状况和了解环保规则的基础上，根据自己的基本价值观念而发生的参与环境保护的自觉性，它最终体现在有利于环境保护的行为上。”(5)目前我们国家的大多数人对于环境问题的客观状况缺乏一个清醒的认识，据调查，国民对于环境状况的判断大多是态度中庸，无敏感性，对许多根本性的环境问题缺少了解，甚至是根本不了解，而且还有相当一部分的社会公众不愿意主动地去获取环境知识。2000年“世界环境日”前后，国家环境保护总局和教育部联合进行的对全国公众环境意识的调查报告得出的结果是，我国公众的环境意识和知识水平还都处理较低的水平，环境道德较弱，我国公众环境意识中具有很强的依赖政府型的特征，政府对于强化公众环境意识具有决定性的作用。从这些大量的调查中，我们可以看到，我国的国民的环保意识是有多么的差。一国的国民的环保意识如此的差，可以想象这个国家的环境问题又是怎样的一个状况了。
第三，环境问题与贫困等其它的社会问题交叉在一起，又有形成恶性循环的趋势。环境问题在当今世界各国有着不同的表现形式，但是从总体上来看，我们可以归纳出这样一点，富国的环境问题主要是与污染物相关的环境污染，而穷国环境问题主要是与自然资源相关的环境破坏，前者比较容易得到防治和恢复，而后者的防治和恢复则要困难的多。我国的环境问题也有类似情况，在平原、沿海及大城市等经济发达的地区，环境问题主要以以环境污染为主，如今经过不断地治理正在不断有所缓解；而西部相对贫困地区，环境破坏引起的生态环境恶化十分严重，且日益呈现出环境问题与贫困同步深化，形成恶性循环的趋势。
二、对我国环境法制建设的几点思考
环境法制建设是一项系统工程，其包含着社会生活的方方面面，在此笔者就对我国的环境法制建设作以下几点探讨即对我国环境问题作几点法治化的思考：立法观念的转型与立法实践的加强、执法与司法的改进、法律监督的强化、公民环保意识与守法观念的强化、对环境构成物的物权归属思考。
（一）立法观念的转型与立法实践的加强
我国环境保护法颁布二十多年来，法律的调整范畴基本上未发生什么重大的变化，环境法在立法上升也未转型，依然是以环境污染防治法为核心的传统型环境法体系。事实上，环境保护不仅包括对已有污染的治理，还包括对现有环境的保护。然而我国的立法长期忽略了这一方面，这也是造成我国目前自然资源保护不力的一个重要原因。国家环境总局负责人在谈到西部环保工作时强调，“一定按照江总书记，预防为主，保护优先”的要求，坚持污染防治与生态环境并重，生态建设与保护并举，城镇污染治理与农村环境综合整治并重，统筹兼顾综合决策的方针，力争实现西部环境事业的跨越发展。
环境保护法是由国家制定或认可，并由国家强制执行的关于保护环境和自然资源，防治污染和其他公害的法律规范和总称，即把环境保护纳入制度化、规范化和科学化的轨道，对于中央立法而言，就要本着实事求是，从实际出发，立足于全面统筹兼顾的原则，遵循法制统一，确立环境管理体制，建立高效的组织机构即环境管理机构来承担指导和协调任务，通过立法明确有关机构的设置、分工、职责和权限以及行使职权的程序，建立健全环境管理制度；并进步确定有关主体的权利、义务和违法责任，只有对违法者实施制裁，才能使受害人权利得到有效保护。目前，我国环境立法中对污染环境罪与国家环境立法主要是全国性的环境保护法律法规，国家环境立法具有根本方向性与原则性，是全国人民的环境活动法则，是地方立法的依据，是环境立法的关键。如今，我们国家存在着规定污染防治规范多而生态资源保护措施少的缺陷，这应该是今后环境立法修改的重点。
地方环境立法是享有立法的地方权力机关和相应的地方行政机关制定地方性，环境保护法规和规章法规，它是环境保护工作纳入法治化轨道的主要手段，又是贯彻执行国家环保法律、法规和管理本地环境保护事务的保证措施。地方环境立法必须坚强化环境管理，突出重点，兼顾其它的指导思想，坚持为环境管理服务，以环境保护工作的中心为环境保护立法的重点，具体说来，有如下原则：①建立大环境立法体系的原则，如前所述，国家环境立法存在着污染防治规范多而生态资源保护措施少的缺陷，与此对应地方环境立法中也存在着侧重污染防治立法而忽视生态环境保护立法的现象，从而造成了实际工作中重污染防治而轻生态环境的保护，使环保工作缺乏全局性考虑。坚持大环境的立法原则是要求在地方立法中运用生态学观点将生活环境和生态环境作为一个有机体考虑，以保护生态环境，防治污染和各类灾害等规范组成一种标本兼治的大环境体系，②强化污染责任制原则，进一步明确和加强污染者的法律责任感。地方立法应将国家立法中污染者与责任具体化明确化，谁污染谁治理，这本来就是环境保护的一个基本原则。在市场经济的体系下，市场主体具有趋利性，往往出现一些企业为了眼前短暂的经济利益宁愿被罚也不去治理污染的现象。因此，加强地方环境立法，强化污染者的责任已刻不容缓，这应该说也是权利义务原则在环保法中的体现。③坚持现实性与超前性相结合原则，各地方的污染状况不同，环保的具体任务也不尽一样，这就要求地方立法以本地事实为依据，坚持国家立法的原则性与本地实际的灵活结合。同时，由于总结性立法往往带有明显的滞后性，而社会关系不断发展，地方立法应在科学预见基础上超前立法，以弥补国家立法的滞后性。
（二）执法与司法的改进
我国环境保护一直强调以行政为主导，政府起到主导作用。从近几年的发展趋势来看，我国的环保行政主导一直呈现出不断加强的趋势。目前，环保工作的重点是加大环境执法的力度，这使环境行政主导的特色更加鲜明，行政主导固然有其优势，如具有较高的效率，能适应我国生态环境复杂的特点，但其局限性也很明显。首先，它主要适用于污染防治，而对自然资源保护和生态环境建设则另当别论；其次，行政主导具有严格的隶属关系，很容易出现部门分割，条块分割，不能形成一个有机联系的整体造成体制上的混乱；再者，行政主导的方式降低了环境司法的地位和功能，也降低了环境执法的功能，使司法的作用微乎其微。因此，要实现环境法治，必须改进执法与司法。但是应当如何改进执法与司法呢？笔者认为应当从以下几个方面努力：
首先，污染防治要向行政责任与刑事责任相融合的行政刑法方向发展，将现行大量的行政处罚上升为具有刑事责任性质的处罚，检察机关应积极参与其中。
其次，生态保育要逐步扩大民事保护的范围而缩小刑事责任的范围，这要取决于民法物权的完善，与取决于经济建设与环境保护关系的正确处理以及大众环境意识的提高等各种因素。
再次，建立起以检察院为主体的公益诉讼制度，检察院代表环境公害的受害者提起诉讼。现行环境侵权诉讼是由民法通则规定的，由于环境侵权的受害民众较广，在诉讼中容易出现“搭便车”现象，不利于共同诉讼人的共同求偿，而公益诉讼制度的建立能够克服此弊端，并且在当今我国公众法律意识普遍淡薄的情况下实施此举不失为良策。
最后，要正确理解和掌握加大环境执法力度。笔者认为，在我国环境法制建设系统工程中，执法是末端环节，前面的问题不解决而仅靠末端一刀切，无异于以堵口子治洪水，是治标不治本，甚至会激化矛盾，为环境法治的发展埋下隐患。
（三）法律监督力度的加大
由于我国实行环境保护行政主导，权力相对集中，行政部门自由裁量权较大，因此法律监督尤为重要。“如果说法治在法律调整机制中是把法律规范、法律关系和实现义务的活动等法律现象聚合起来的重要手段，那么法律监督则是使法治在法律调态各个阶段得到有力保证的重要法律措施，一个国家如果没有严格有力的法律监督，也就没有法治。”可见法律监督的真正价值不是在于形式，而是在于力度。
我国环境法律监督大体包括：权力机关的监督、行政机关的监督、舆论监督、各政党和社会团体组织的为监督、人民群众监督、司法监督等几类。
权力机关的监督在近年来发挥了重要作用，全国人大环境资源委员会多次听取国务院和最高人民法院有关资源与环境保护的工作报告，对如何推动我国经济的可持续发展的实施和加强环境保护工作提出了许多建设性意见，而且坚持法律监督与舆论监督相结合，组织并一直坚持进行中华环保世纪行和环境执法大检查等活动。
行政机关的监督以环境监理为核心，成立了专门的环境监理机构，旨在加强环境执法力度。
各政党的社会团体组织的监督主要以舆论监督的形式出现，但我国舆论监督制度程度很低，因而总体上作用很有限。
司法监督主要是司法监督职有机关即人民检察院的监督，在环境监督领域这块基本上是空白。
人民群众的监督主要再现为以环境评价制度等为内容的公众参与，而公众参与首先取决于公众环境意识，其次取决于制度的保证，我国在这两个方面都存在许多问题，人民群众的监督基本上只具雏形，缺少操作性规范，力度亦很有限。
