On The Foreign Investment And Environmental Protection Law Of Laos In The Perspective Of ASEAN Economic Integration

Economic development is essential for human and social development, but if the economic development policies are made and/or managed inappropriately, it can bring about environmental issues.10 Years ago, under the context of ASEAN economic integration, Laos government implemented an open door policy, expanded trade cooperation, attracted foreign investment that continuously improved domestic investment, and also formed the scope of foreign investment law. In order to develop economies, Laos has been expanding the scope of foreign investment, especially in this recent year, the amount of foreign investment has grown annually in which foreign investment has played an important role in economic development. However, while developing economies, pollution problems meanwhile have been ignored. Laos has already set up some of the legal framework on environmental protection, but its legislation and enforcement still have some deficiencies. Therefore, the domain of foreign investment should perfect its environmental legislation, enhancing environmental enforcement, taking effective measures to coordinate both of them, and promoting sustainable development of Lao foreign economies and trades. This paper is from the ASEAN economic integration perspective, analyzing Lao foreign investment how it impacts environmental protection, with particular focus on the deficiencies of the current environmental protection law, and giving some personal suggestions.In the process of ASEAN economic integration, ASEAN has passed and signed a great deal of the relevant to economic integration treaties and agreements. In order to attract more foreign investment, ASEAN nations have set up favorable conditions to attract foreign investment and making more investment inflows. For economic development of the region, ASEAN investment agreements has established the institutional framework. As a member state of ASEAN, Laos has been intensifying economic cooperation with ASEAN. Meanwhile, ASEAN economic integration has had a great impact on Lao foreign investment legislations.In attracting foreign investment legislation, The Lao government has set up favorable conditions and preferential policies for attracting foreign investment. Since joining ASEAN, Lao foreign investment has been facing new opportunities and challenges, Therefore the Lao foreign investment law has many deficiencies that need to revised and improved.The main point of this paper is to discuss foreign investment and environmental protection issues. In the current international community, under the background of attaching the importance to environmental issues and environmental protection, Laos in their effort to attract an amount of foreign investment are faced with environmental problems. Nowadays, special attention is focused on the most attractive foreign investment sectors (Hydropower. mining, planting) and impact to the environment. From the Lao domestic environmental protection law perspective, its contents need to be further improved. In order to provide a good environment for lao people, some of the foreign investment that cause environmental problems should be limited and this will be achieved by adjusting environmental protection measures and improving the legislations.