On 3 March 2023, the EPA amended the Regulations Governing the Employment of Environmental Agent Professional Technicians (環境用藥專業技術人員設置管理辦法). This is done in response to the digitization of employment concerning environmental agent professional technicians, and the goal in the future is to integrate and align management of professional technicians in environmental protection as well as others in other fields of expertise.

Promulgated first in 1998, the Regulations have been revised four times with the most recent one announced on 29 June 2016.

The aim of the amendment this time is to align management of environmental personnel with that for professional technicians as applications will be processed online for employment of environmental agent professional technicians. References for the revisions include the Regulations Governing the Employment and Management of Responsible Units or Personnel for Wastewater Disposal (廢(污)水處理專責單位或人員設置及管理辦法).

Highlights of the revisions include enhancement of the system concerning substitutes representing professional technicians, in which it is modified that one having taken training for the same categories of professional technicians are qualified to substitute. There are clearly set regulations concerning prohibited behaviors and business operators’ management responsibilities, and clearly specified scopes of responsibility. In addition, penalties are in place for violation concerning training and how operations are conducted, and the revisions also include what regulations can be applied in terms of management of records of leaves and employment of environmental agent professional technicians. All of them aim to improve management of professional technicians in this field.

Excerpt from Major Environmental Policies, February 2023