12.2. Political-administrative arrangements
The PAAs of China's policy of import of solid waste represent the structured group of public and para-state actors who are responsible for its implementation. In a policy, for different outputs, there are different PAAs. Here the PAAs of the enterprises using imported solid waste will be discussed.
The enterprise using imported solid waste shall submit a written application attached by the environmental assessment report and related documents to the local environmental protection department.
The local environmental department shall examine the application documents concerning the completeness and contents. After the examination, the local environmental protection department sends their decision and all the documents to the provincial level of environmental department, who shall then examine the decision and documents and send their decision and the documents to the Waste Import Registration Management Center.
In the Waste Import Registration Management Center, all the decisions and documents will be carefully examined according to related laws, regulations and ordinances. After the examination, the center shall put their decision on the official website of the ministry of environmental protection. After three days of public notification, the center shall then send their decision and public opinion to the ministry of environmental protection, where the final decision will be made.
The ministry of environmental protection shall issue the permit to the Waste Import Registration Management Center, who shall then mail the permit and charge bill to the enterprise directly or to the provincial level of environmental protection department, who will then send the permit and charge bill to the enterprise.
Figure VIII: The PAA of licensing the enterprises using solid waste
Based on The Center of Administration of Solid Waste online information: http://ncswm.mep.gov.cn/wwwroot/gfmh/upload/Image/mrtp/2500834571.gif (in Chinese)
Figure IX: The PAAs of licensing the domestic consignees
Based on the online information of Raoping Entry-exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau. Available at http://www.rp.gdciq.gov.cn/zxbs/bgxzspgk/201209/t20120912_19146.htm (in Chinese).
From above analysis, China’s PAA of licensing the domestic consignees is PAA of multiple actors. The main responsibility, including the horizontal and vertical cooperation falls on the shoulder of Inspection and Quarantine Bureau at provincial level. Therefore, it is a centralized PAA. This can be explained by China's system of centrality.
12.3. The actors' games at the stage of policy programming – the example of China's Association of Plastics Processing Industry
In The Announcement No. 36 of 2007 issued by the State Council, it is stipulated that governments at various levels should authorize some responsibilities to associations of industries. When issuing the policies relevant to the development of industries, governments shall consult and discuss with the related associations of industries. Associations of industries should also keep up with the trends, improve their ways of working, conduct researches on industries so as to actively reflect the opinions of the enterprises, provide suggestions on industrial developments and law-making, and to participate in the drafting of laws, regulations, standards and plans related to industries, which will promote the industrial developments.91 Also, in The Announcement No. 126 of 2009 issued by The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, there are details articles concerning the roles that the associations can play in formulating policies and standards of industries.92 These are institutional rules which enable associations of industries to participate in the programming stage of policies.
China's Association of Plastics Processing Industry (CAPPI) is funded in 1989 by the combined efforts of the enterprises using waste plastics. After more than 20 years of development, the membership has covered more than 2000 enterprises. The purpose of the Association is to study the industrial developments of waste plastics; to represent the interests of the industry of waste plastics recycling by proposing suggestions and requirements to governments; to monitor the operation of association members; and to provide technological guidance to enterprises as well as coordinate the development of the industry.93
According to the interviews with the Wang Wang, the Chief Secretary of CAPPI, the Association actively participated in consulting with the Ministry of Environmental Protection when the Ministry drafted The Rules on Environmental Protection of Import of Waste Plastics in 2012. They held sessions and consultation among member enterprises and public authorities in September, 2012. Moreover, they handed over a proposal to the Ministry of Environmental Protection by providing the authorities with the enterprises' first hand experiences of dealing with the recycling and reuse of waste plastics.94 At the same time, they also participated in the formulation of several standards of imported waste plastics, such as The Controlling Standards of Environmental Prevention of Reuse and Recycling of Waste Plastics (HJ/T 364-2007).
Therefore, from the above analysis, it can be shown that, at the stage of policy programming, based on the institutional rules of participation of associations of relevant industries, China's Association of Plastics Processing Industry, which represents the interests of target groups, employs the resources of information and organization to influence the policy product at this stage.