环评文件退回的实践面向及其合法性审视

The Practice Orientation of the Return of EIA Documents and the Examination of Its Legitimacy

环评文件退回,是指环保部门受理建设单位环评文件申请之后,在环评文件审查中发现存在缺陷或者其他违法原因,而作出退回环评文件的行政决定,并要求建设单位完成整改后,重新申请报批环评文件。环评文件退回在实践中演变为多种类型,包括“多次行政程序内的非正式退回”“环评文件缺陷退回重新报批”以及“建设单位环境违法牵连退回”等类型。环评文件退回的“制度化”及其实施过程的合法性困境在于:自行创设一种环评行政审批终结方式、规避行政审批过程中的基本正当程序以及环评审批与其他事项的“不当联结”等。在法治国背景下,环保部门需要放弃各种类型的环评文件退回行为的实施,不仅应遵循“环评审批归环评审批”的法治路径,而且相应的配套立法与完善也必须跟进。

The return of the EIA document refers to that after the environmental protection department accepts the EIA documents’application for approval of the construction unit,it finds that there are defects or other illegal reasons during the review of the EIA document,so it makes an administrative decision to return the EIA document,and requires the construction unit to complete the rectification and renew approval of EIA documents.The return of EIA documents has evolved into a variety of types in practice,including“informal returns within multiple administrative procedures”,“the EIA documents have defects so that they are returned for re-approval”and“returned due to environmental violations by construction units”and other types.The institutionalization and legality dilemma in course of implementation of EIA documents returned are:Create a method for ending the EIA administrative examination and approval,avoid the basic due process in the administrative examination and approval process,and“improperly link”between the EIA examination and approval with other matters.In the context of the rule of law in China,environmental protection departments need to abandon the implementation of various types of EIA document return activities.Environmental laws need to be adjusted not only for the rule of law path of“environmental assessment approval is subject to environmental assessment approval”,and the corresponding supporting legislation and improvement shall also keep up.