ON WEDNESDAY, the Ministry of Environmental Protection began soliciting public opinions on a draft regulation that will allow the public to participate in environmental protection investigations. The draft also requires environmental protection departments to help social organizations launch litigation in the public interest. Comments:

The draft regulation is a positive move, but it still has too many limits that maintain a high threshold for social organizations to raise public litigation. Since most of the qualified social organizations share interests with government departments or are simply governed by them, how can they act independently and launch litigation in the public interest? The draft regulation needs to be improved.

Chang Jiwen, a researcher on environmental policies at the Development Research Center of the State Council, April 15