[Provisional Translation]

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe held the 28th meeting of the Council on National Strategic Special Zones at the Prime Minister's Office.

During the meeting, debate took place on certifying the special zone plan, additional items for regulatory reform, and other matters.

Based on the discussion, the Prime Minister said,

“Today we listened to remarks in regard to initiatives for near-future technologies such as autonomous cars and drones from Mr. Carlos Ghosn, President and Chief Executive Officer of Nissan Motor Co., and others. While listening to these remarks, I sensed your high expectations for verification tests in special zones.

On the other hand, it is also true that even in the special zones there are numerous complex regulations and procedures. 

We will establish a “regulatory sandbox” that fundamentally reviews ex ante regulations and procedures so that technological innovation is not stymied by regulations, and safety is still maintained. We will first introduce this regulatory sandbox for fields such as autonomous cars and drones.

The “regulatory sandbox” is included in the Bill for the Amendment of the National Strategic Special Zones Law to be submitted during this session of the Diet. I would like all of you who embrace the challenge of achieving the world's top ranking, to unleash explosive innovation in an environment that strives to be the freest in the world.

In addition, this bill includes items for inbound measures and strengthening competitiveness, such as the acceptance of foreign personnel who have diverse areas of expertise, as well as items on improving the environment for raising children.

I request all relevant ministers to advance the final adjustments of this bill in line with today's compilation.”