On May 20, the Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP) and the Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE) jointly held a seminar in Yibin, Southwest China's Sichuan province, focusing on the role of procuratorial organs in serving and safeguarding the high-quality development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt.
At the seminar, the SPP and the MEE jointly released typical cases demonstrating the coordination between procuratorial supervision and ecological and environmental law enforcement in support of the green development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt. These cases fully showcase the practical achievements of the strengthened collaboration between procuratorial organs and ecological and environmental authorities in advancing the eco-friendly and green development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt through the rule of law.
The 11 released cases comprise three criminal cases and eight public interest litigation cases. In handling these cases, procuratorial organs have continuously strengthened coordination and cooperation with public security organs and ecological and environmental departments, and deepened the implementation of mechanisms for transfer of leads, case-handling collaboration, professional support, and information sharing. Through coordinated performance of duties, they have made protection more effective and underscored the force of the rule of law by strictly holding violators accountable.
Ecological and environmental protection of the Yangtze River Basin requires a holistic and systematic approach, with coordinated governance across its upper and lower reaches, both banks, and its mainstreams and tributaries. By leveraging an integrated case-handling mechanism, procuratorial organs have actively promoted cross-regional and inter-departmental collaboration, effectively addressing the problem of fragmented governance.
The released cases highlight the practice of restorative justice. In dealing with environmental damage, procuratorial organs have urged liable parties to fulfill their legal obligations for restoration and compensation, and promoted effective pollutant cleanups, restoration of damaged ecosystems, and long-term management and protection.
Meanwhile, by extending governance to the source, procuratorial organs have promoted the coordinated advancement of pollution prevention and control, ecological protection, and green and low-carbon development.
