Abstract: The mechanisms for Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) in China were compared with those in developed countries. It was found that in developed countries, effective implementation of EIA depends on the institution with responsibility over pollution. However, in China, the EIA mechanism does not rely on the pollution responsibility institution as much as that in developed countries. Rather, the EIA mechanism is operated independently. The EIA mechanisms in China have theoretical shortcomings as follows:(1) there is a lack of effective ways to obtain information; (2) departmental authority boundaries restrict environmental management incentives and ability. Therefore, the EIA institutions in China should be improved from two perspectives:1) to improve the pollution responsibility institution and establish the dependence of the EIA institution on the pollution responsibility institution; 2) to continue the existing EIA mechanism improvement by keeping the EIA institution independent of the pollution responsibility institution, then independently and effectively applying the incentive and restraint functions on the project subject.