The promulgation and implementation of the new Environmental Protection Law and the Air Pollution Prevention and Control Law have provided a legal basis for the prevention and control of VOCs.

　　The new Environmental Protection Law and the Air Pollution Prevention and Control Law have gradually begun to take effect. These laws have undergone extensive revisions, including substantial additions, deletions, reordering, and redrafting of existing provisions. The Air Pollution Prevention and Control Law now includes provisions on “joint prevention and control of air pollution in key regions” and “response to severe pollution weather.” Notably, it has significantly increased the number of provisions related to the prevention and control of VOCs, requiring comprehensive control measures from multiple angles, such as source control, cleaner production, and emission management. Regarding source control, the law explicitly sets standards for the production, import, sale, and use of raw materials and products containing volatile organic compounds (VOCs), stipulating that their VOC content must meet specified quality standards. In terms of cleaner production and emission management, any production or service activities generating VOCs must be conducted in enclosed spaces and equipped with, and operated according to, prescribed pollution-control facilities. For those activities that cannot be conducted in enclosed spaces, measures must be taken to minimize emissions. Violations of these provisions resulting in VOC emissions will be subject to penalties such as fines and shutdown orders; in serious cases, criminal liability may even be imposed.

　　The promulgation and implementation of the new Law on Prevention and Control of Atmospheric Pollution have, at the legal level, brought volatile organic compounds (VOCs) under the scope of atmospheric pollution control regulation, placing a "tight rein" on enterprises that discharge pollutants. This provides a legal basis for the formulation of relevant policies, regulations, and management systems, as well as for VOCs pollution prevention and control efforts.

　　The promulgation and implementation of the "Pilot Measures for Charging Emissions of Volatile Organic Compounds" have greatly boosted VOCs control efforts in related industries.

　　The National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Finance, and the Ministry of Environmental Protection jointly issued the “Pilot Measures for the Collection of Emission Charges for Volatile Organic Compounds” (Cai Shui [2015] No. 71) and the “Notice on Issues Relating to the Formulation of Standards for the Collection of Emission Charges for Volatile Organic Compounds in Pilot Industries such as Petrochemicals and Packaging & Printing” (Fa Gai Jia Ge [2015] No. 2185). Starting from October 1, 2015, a pilot program was launched nationwide to levy emission charges for VOCs in the petrochemical and packaging & printing industries. The pilot scope includes crude oil processing and petroleum product manufacturing, organic chemical raw material manufacturing, primary-form plastics and synthetic resin manufacturing, synthetic rubber manufacturing, synthetic fiber monomer (polymer) manufacturing, and warehousing in the petrochemical industry, as well as packaging and decorative printing in the packaging & printing industry.

　　The promulgation and implementation of the "Pilot Measures for Charging Emissions of Volatile Organic Compounds" have given a tremendous boost to the prevention and control of VOCs pollution. Government departments in various provinces, municipalities, and districts have begun formulating detailed implementation rules for VOCs emission charges, including specific requirements such as the industries subject to charges, charge rates, and charging methods. Currently, ten provinces, municipalities, and districts—including Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Hebei—have officially released their implementation rules and started collecting fees. It is expected that by 2016, this fee collection system will be fully rolled out across the country. Under the pressure of the charging system, enterprises that had previously been taking a wait-and-see approach—especially some large-scale companies—have now begun to comprehensively launch VOCs reduction efforts. The ability to reduce VOCs emissions has become a key factor in competition within related industries, alongside enterprises’ levels of cleaner production. Enterprises with high cleaner production standards and low emission levels will be able to survive, whereas those with lower standards and higher emissions will face the risk of being eliminated. This trend has become a general consensus, particularly in regions with stringent regulatory requirements and strong enforcement, such as Beijing and Shanghai.