Through the Law amending certain provisions of 15 Laws on Agriculture and Environment.

The National Assembly passed a law amending and supplementing a number of articles of 15 laws in the fields of agriculture and environment, aiming to resolve obstacles and improve the legal framework.

Continuing the agenda of the 10th Session, on the morning of December 11th, under the chairmanship of Deputy Speaker Le Minh Hoan, the 15th National Assembly voted to approve the Law amending and supplementing a number of articles of 15 laws in the fields of agriculture and environment.

Before the vote, the National Assembly heard Minister of Agriculture and Environment Tran Duc Thang, authorized by the Prime Minister, present a report explaining, accepting, and revising the draft law. Following this, the National Assembly proceeded with an electronic vote. The result showed that 424 out of 431 delegates voted in favor, representing 89.64% of the total National Assembly delegates, thus officially passing the law.

The National Assembly listened to Minister of Agriculture and Environment Tran Duc Thang, authorized by the Prime Minister, present a report explaining, receiving feedback, and revising the draft law. Photo: Pham Thang.

Focus on addressing three major content groups.

According to the explanatory report, this draft law focuses on regulating only three main groups of issues: organizational restructuring; reform of administrative procedures and investment and business conditions; and addressing bottlenecks that are "already mature and clear".

Regarding other shortcomings raised by delegates, the Government believes that more time is needed to fully summarize and assess the impact, and then propose amendments in the 2026-2030 period. The plan is that during the 16th National Assembly term, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment will submit comprehensive amendments and supplements to 14 draft laws, including the Law on Environmental Protection and the Law on Marine and Island Resources and Environment, which will be amended in 2026.

Regarding the proposal to remove the environmental sensitivity factor for land used for double-cropping rice cultivation and resettlement of displaced people, some delegates suggested reconsideration. Taking these opinions into account, the Government agreed to retain the resettlement criteria as currently stipulated.

Regarding the criterion of land specifically used for rice cultivation with two or more harvests per year, the Government believes it is unnecessary to continue including it in the Environmental Protection Law. Removing this criterion aims to streamline administrative procedures without affecting food security or conflicting with related laws.

30 out of 34 localities have proposed abolishing the regulation on topsoil for rice cultivation.

Regarding the proposal to abolish Article 57 of the Law on Crop Production concerning the use of topsoil from land specifically designated for rice cultivation, some delegates suggested reconsideration. The report clearly stated that this regulation faces many obstacles in implementation, especially during project deployment. In fact, 30 out of 34 localities have proposed abolishing this article.

The abolition does not diminish the effectiveness of protecting rice land, as this content is already strictly regulated in the Land Law, the Investment Law, and related documents.

The National Assembly passed a law amending and supplementing a number of articles of 15 laws in the fields of agriculture and environment, aiming to resolve obstacles and improve legislation. Photo: Pham Thang.

Regarding regulations in the Forestry Law, some delegates expressed concerns about the exemption from the procedure for changing the land use purpose of planted forests after clear-cutting. The explanatory report clarified that the area of ​​planted forests after clear-cutting or forests that do not yet meet the criteria for being classified as forest is currently classified as vacant land within the agricultural land planning. Therefore, this area does not require the procedure for changing the land use purpose of forest land, but only the procedure for changing the land use purpose of agricultural land.

However, to increase the accountability of investors, the draft law stipulates that a fee for reforestation is mandatory, in order to ensure the maintenance of forest area and coverage rate.

完善 legal framework, unleash resources for development

The government has thoroughly reviewed the draft law to ensure its consistency and uniformity with the legal system, especially with the laws and resolutions being considered at this session.

The Law amending and supplementing a number of articles of 15 laws in the fields of agriculture and environment, comprising 17 articles, was passed with high approval from National Assembly deputies. The enactment of the law aims to institutionalize the Party's policy on reforming the organizational structure, decentralization and delegation of power, simplifying administrative procedures, reducing business conditions, and promptly addressing difficulties arising from practical management.

The law is expected to contribute to freeing up resources, supporting socio-economic development, and meeting practical requirements in the fields of agriculture and environment.

Source: https://nongnghiepmoitruong.vn/thong-qua-luat-sua-doi-mot-so-dieu-cua-15-luat-nong-nghiep-va-moi-truong-d788835.html