Press Conference by the Chief Cabinet Secretary (Excerpt)

Opening Statement by Chief Cabinet Secretary Fujimura

• The establishment of the Nuclear Regulation Authority

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY FUJIMURA:

(Abridged)

I have one more topic I wish to raise. During today's Cabinet Meeting a Minister of State was appointed. To coincide with the enforcement of the bill concerning the establishment of the Nuclear Regulation Authority, an order was issued, effective today, to appoint Minister of State Hosono to a position of responsibility in relation to nuclear emergency preparedness. Furthermore, Senior Vice Minister of the Environment Yokomitsu was appointed to also serve as Senior Vice Minister of Cabinet Office, and Parliamentary Secretary of the Environment Takayama was appointed to also serve as Parliamentary Secretary of Cabinet Office. Both will also be responsible for nuclear emergency preparedness. Also, today the Nuclear Regulation Authority will be established. Without mentioning the aftermath of the accident at the Fukushima Nuclear Power Station of the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), the Nuclear Regulation Authority has many matters to address including the development of the world's most rigorous regulations and strengthening of nuclear accident preventative measures. It is our hope that moving forward, the Nuclear Regulation Authority responds to the high expectations of citizens toward nuclear regulation development and earnestly addresses the issues I mentioned.

Q&As

• Procedures for restarting nuclear power stations after the establishment if the Nuclear Regulation Authority
• The Cabinet Decision on energy and environment policy

REPORTER: I would like to ask a question concerning the Nuclear Regulation Authority established today. My question pertains to the procedures for restarting nuclear power stations. Up until now, the process has involved talks among relevant four ministers, including the Prime Minister, but now that the Nuclear Regulation Authority has been established, I would like to ask if there will be any decisions made at a political level following assessment of safety from a technical point of view by the Nuclear Regulation Authority.

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY FUJIMURA: Your question regards the future restart of nuclear power stations. From now on, the Nuclear Regulation Authority, which is independent of the Government, will be responsible for assessing the safety of nuclear power stations. All I can say for the moment is that only those nuclear power stations that are deemed to be safe will be put into operation again. The Nuclear Regulation Authority is only being formed today, so the kind of regulations that will be established will only be determined from today onwards.

(Abridged)

REPORTER: It has been reported that the Government has agreed to postpone a Cabinet decision on the Innovative Strategy for Energy and the Environment. Could you tell us if this is the case?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY FUJIMURA: I do not believe that this report is accurate. To fill you in on the situation, the most recent Energy and Environment Council meeting has established an outline for the overall policy direction. Moving forward following this strategy, Cabinet Decisions will be made on the Framework for Green Development Policy, Global Warming Countermeasures and the Basic Energy Plan. Furthermore, it has also been agreed that we will work towards realizing energy and environmental policies such as the upkeep and enhancement of personnel and technology related to nuclear power. Today's cabinet decision states that the implementation of energy and environmental policies will be in line with these strategies. As I said, it states implementation, which means that it is focused on the actual process of determining policies.

REPORTER: I would like to ask a question in relation to this Cabinet Decision. You used the word implementation but I would like to ask why then was not the entire strategy approved by Cabinet Decision?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY FUJIMURA: Today's decision did not make any legal decisions as to the energy and environment strategy but this is not the first time this has happened. Today Cabinet agreed that we are to hold discussions with relevant municipalities, work on relationships within the international community which the Government is responsible for, and hold constructive discussions in line with the strategy. We have also agreed that the Government is to implement the environment and energy policies while flexibly undertaking continual assessment and review, gaining support of citizens.

REPORTER: As you mentioned earlier, I believe that the Basic Energy Plan will be one of the final items to be approved by Cabinet Decision and I would like to ask if this Basic Energy Plan will include the target of reducing nuclear power dependency to zero before the end of the 2030s, which was outlined in the strategy.

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY FUJIMURA: This is something that is to be decided by the Comprehensive Resources and Energy Commission.

REPORTER: Does that mean that it may be subject to change?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY FUJIMURA: This is something that is to be decided by the Comprehensive Resources and Energy Commission.

REPORTER: My question is related to the previous question. You just said that this wasn't the first time this has happened and spoke about the modality of today's Cabinet Decision. I believe that in the past there have been opposite situations approving on documents themselves, such as in cases of regulation reform. Could you share with us why you chose the option of not approving the strategy itself when you had other options?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY FUJIMURA: As you said, we had two options, and this time we made this particular choice. We do not yet know when it will be, but sometime in the future the Basic Energy Plan will be approved by cabinet decision. With this understanding we made this particular choice on this occasion.

REPORTER: My question is still related to the same topic. Does the Government understand today's Cabinet Decision to have approved the policy of reducing nuclear power dependency to zero by the end of the 2030s?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY FUJIMURA: I would like to ask you to read the cabinet decision thoroughly. Once again, I would like to clarify today's cabinet decision: The strategy has formalized the general direction of energy policy; that is, aiming to realize a society that is not dependent on nuclear power. The Cabinet Decision also determined that the Government is to work together toward the promotion and implementation of energy and environmental policies in line with this strategy for energy and the environment.

In relation to the Basic Energy Plan, the statement begins by stating that the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry is to listen to the opinions of relevant administrative body leaders and the Comprehensive Resources and Energy Commission to develop a Basic Energy Plan draft, and then seek the approval of Cabinet. This has legally binding force. Therefore, it is to be treated differently to the strategy.

(Abridged)