Representatives from China and the EU officially launched the project to assist China in developing legislation, inspections, maintenance requirements and the facilities to control vehicle emissions at standards comparable to the strict rules on vehicle emissions in the EU.

It includes the following five sub-projects: regulations for new vehicles and fuel quality; regulations for the inspection and maintenance of in-use vehicles; emission laboratory quality control; the establishment of a national database for vehicle emissions and fuels; economic measures in emission control.

The project is the first in which the EU has entrusted the management completely to a purely Chinese body, instead of charging a commercial contractor with the job.

According to Endymion Wilkinson, ambassador of the EU Commission Delegation to China, this highlights the drive to decentralize EU project management and increase ownership by the Chinese side.

"The EU supports China's attempts to prepare for a clean auto industry, which now has become one of China's pillar industries," he said.

It also underlines the administrative skills of the State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA) to handle international cooperation projects efficiently.

The EU is marking efforts to share with China its advanced experiences in vehicle emission reduction, he said, adding that China's environmental experts will be sent to Europe to learn from their counterparts.

Wang Jirong, vice-minister of SEPA, said the administration is actively seeking more cooperation with the EU in environmental management and technology.

The project is based on a recent World Bank assessment of China's environmental needs. China has over 40 million vehicles, and the number is growing by ten percent annually.

(People’s Daily, 10/11/2000)