The Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Ecology and Environment has established a fast-track channel for major projects in the Lin-gang Special Area in East China's Shanghai city -- to ensure that resident companies can get environmental impact assessment, or EIA, results as soon as possible.

The streamlined channel provides simplified EIA procedures, which enabled two major projects in Lin-gang to obtain EIA approvals in January within six working days, 29 working days less than standard procedure.

To speed up EIA examinations and approvals, the ecology and environment bureau has optimized and upgraded the procedures in four areas.

First, public participation is optimized and procedures streamlined. At the EIA preparation stage, the report will be publicized only once with the publicity time halved. At the approval stage, approval information is publicized only once, with the publicity time reduced by two-thirds.

Meanwhile, consultation services are being brought forward and the process integrated. The EIA document publicity, technical assessments and approval will be carried out at the same time, halving the duration of technical assessments and with EIA approval efficiency improved.

Additionally, the bureau will give its full trust to enterprises and allow them to apply for EIA approval with less than standard documentation, on condition the material is provided at a later date.

Moreover, supervision and regulation will be strengthened during and after EIA approval by improving the ecological zoning management and control system, as well as the ecological environment monitoring and evaluation system.

The Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Ecology and Environment is reportedly set to tackle key problems in EIA approval and comprehensively promote reform of the approval process -- contributing to optimizing the business environment, stimulating market vitality and promoting high-quality development.