Council for Science and Technology Policy

(Provisional Translation)
Cabinet Office Establishment Law (Law No. 89 of 1999) (Excerpt)

Article 18
In order to contribute to the necessary planning, drafting and coordination for conforming the measures concerning important Cabinet policies of the administrative divisions, the following entities shall be established inside the Cabinet Office as those that shall require the administration of work deemed appropriate for ministers concerned and academic experts to handle through discussions, with the Prime Minister or the Chief Cabinet Secretary as the head (hereinafter referred to as "Councils on Important Policies"):
Council on Economic and Fiscal Policy
Council for Science and Technology Policy
2.	(Omitted due to space limitation)

III. Council for Science and Technology Policy

(Work Administered and others concerned)
Article 26
The Council for Science and Technology Policy (hereinafter referred to as "the Council") shall administer the following work:
	i.	Study and deliberate the basic policies for a comprehensive and systematic promotion of science and technology in response to requests from the Prime Minister,
	ii.	Study and deliberate the policies on the distribution of the budget and human resources relevant to science and technology and other resources necessary to promote science and technology as well as other important matters concerning the promotion of science and technology, in response to requests from the Prime Minister and ministers concerned,
	iii.	Evaluate large-scale research and development (R&D) for science and technology and other important R&D for Japan,
	iv.	Express its opinions on the basic policies stipulated in Item 1 and important matters stipulated in Item 2 to the ministers stipulated in each of the aforementioned Items.
2.	The Minister of State for Special Missions whose post was created in accordance with the stipulations in Paragraph 1 of Article 9 and who is responsible for carrying out the work stipulated in Items 4 through 6 of Paragraph 1 of Article 4 (hereinafter referred to as "Minister of State for Science and Technology Policy") may request the opinion of the Council with regard to the basic policies stipulated in Item 1 of the preceding Paragraph and important matters stipulated in Item 2 of the said Paragraph that concern the aforementioned work.
3.	The Council shall present its opinions based on the requests in the preceding Paragraph to the Minister of State for Science and Technology Policy. In the case where the post of Minister of State for Science and Technology Policy is not established within the Cabinet, such opinions shall be directed to the Prime Minister.
4.	The Council may express its opinions to the Minister of State for Science and Technology Policy concerning the basic policies stipulated in Item 1 of Paragraph 1 and important items stipulated in Item 2 of the said Paragraph that concern the work carried out by the Minister of State for Science and Technology Policy.

(Organization)
Article 27
The Council shall be comprised of a Chair and no more than 14 members.

(Chair)
Article 28
The Prime Minister shall be assigned to the position of Chair.
2.	The Chair shall preside over Council affairs.
3.	In the case where the Chair is involved in an accident, the Chief Cabinet Secretary shall serve as the proxy.
4.	In the case where the post of Minister of State for Science and Technology Policy is established within the Cabinet and the Chair is involved in an accident, the Minister of State for Science and Technology Policy shall serve as the proxy in place of the Chief Cabinet Secretary regardless of the stipulation in the preceding Paragraph.

(Members)
Article 29
The following shall be assigned as members:
	i.	Chief Cabinet Secretary
	ii.	Minister of State for Science and Technology Policy
	iii.	Minister of each ministry designated by the Prime Minister
	iv.	Heads of committees who by law shall oversee the ministries and agencies as well as heads of agencies designated by the Prime Minister
	v.	In addition to the members stipulated in the preceding two Items, the heads of the administrative agencies concerned in Japan designated by the Prime Minister
	vi.	Those with deep insight on science and technology appointed by the Prime Minister
2.	The Chair may require ministers of ministries and heads of agencies other than those stipulated in Items 1 through 4 of the preceding Paragraph to participate as members on an ad hoc basis when deemed necessary, regardless of the stipulations in Article 27 and the preceding Paragraph if such assignments fall within the confines of the bill.
3.	The number of members stipulated in Item 6 of Paragraph 1 shall not be more than five-tenths of the total number of members stipulated in Paragraph 1.
4.	Members stipulated in Items 5 and 6 of Paragraph 1 shall preside over their roles on a part-time basis. However, a maximum of four such members may preside on a full-time basis.

(Appointment of Members)
Article 30
The Prime Minister shall obtain the consent of both the House of Representatives and House of Councillors when appointing the members stipulated in Item 6 of Paragraph 1 of the preceding Article.
2.	Where members stipulated in Item 6 of Paragraph 1 of the preceding Article have served out the full term of office or a position is vacant, the Prime Minister may, notwithstanding the stipulations in the preceding Paragraph, appoint the members stipulated in said Item without the consent of both Houses when impossible, due to the Diet being out of session or due to the House of Representatives being dissolved.
3.	In the case of the preceding Paragraph, the approval of both Houses shall be obtained at the first Diet session after the appointment. If an ex post facto approval of both Houses is unobtainable, the Prime Minister shall immediately dismiss the members.

(Term of Members)
Article 31
Members stipulated in Item 6 of Paragraph 1 of Article 29 shall serve a term of two years. However, members who have stepped in as substitutes shall serve the amount of time remaining of the original member's term.
2.	Members stipulated in the preceding Paragraph may be reappointed.

(Dismissal of Members)
Article 32
When the Prime Minister deems that members stipulated in Item 6 of Paragraph 1 of Article 29 are incapable of performing their official duties due to mental or physical disability or that members stipulated in the said Item have committed a breach of their official duties or any other misconduct not benefiting members, the Prime Minister may dismiss the members with the consent of both Houses.

(Standards of Conduct for Members)
Article 33
Members stipulated in Items 5 and 6 of Paragraph 1 of Article 29 (Of the members in Item 5 of said Paragraph, civil servants for regular service shall be excluded. The same shall apply to the Items in this Article and the following Article.) shall not divulge secrets obtained through duties. The same shall apply after members retire from office.
2.	Members stipulated in Items 5 and 6 of Paragraph 1 of Article 29 shall not become, during their term of office, officials of political parties or any other political organizations, or shall not engage actively in political activities.
3.	Excluding the case where the approval of the Prime Minister is obtained, full-time members stipulated in Items 5 and 6 of Paragraph 1 of Article 29 shall not, during their term of office, engage in other jobs with remuneration, operate for-profit business or conduct any business for pecuniary profit.

(Salary of Members)
Article 34
Salaries of members stipulated in Items 5 and 6 of Paragraph 1 of Article 29 shall be separately specified by law.

(Request for Submission of Materials, etc.)
Article 35
The Council may seek necessary cooperation from the heads of administrative agencies concerned, including the submission of materials, statements of opinions and explanations when deemed necessary for carrying out the work administered by the Council.
2.	The Council may also seek necessary cooperation from persons other than those stipulated in the preceding Paragraph who have insight on items open for deliberation when deemed to be especially necessary for carrying out the work administered by the Council.

(Stipulation by Cabinet Order)
Article 36
Matters concerning the organization, work administered and members of the Council and other necessary matters concerning the Council other than those stipulated under Paragraph 26 through the preceding Paragraph shall be determined by cabinet order.
Supplementary Provision

(Exception to the Term of Members of the Council for Science and Technology Policy)
Article 6
With respect to the members stipulated in Item 6 of Paragraph 1 of Article 29 appointed for the first time since the law entered into force, the term of half of the aforementioned members (if the total number of the aforementioned members is an odd number, the fraction yielded by halving that number shall be rounded off) shall be one year regardless of the stipulations in Paragraph 1 of Article 31 and in accordance with the specifications of the Prime Minister.

(Transitional Measure)
Article 7
Procedures necessary for appointing members stipulated in Item 6 of Paragraph 1 of Article 29 may be carried out before this law enters into force.
Cabinet Order on the Council for Science and Technology Policy
(Cabinet Order No. 258 of 2000)
The Cabinet shall establish the Cabinet Order in accordance with the stipulations in Article 36 of the Cabinet Office Establishment Law (Law No. 89 of 1999).

(Experts)
Article 1
The Prime Minister may appoint experts to the Council for Science and Technology Policy (hereinafter referred to as "the Council") when necessary for the examination of items that require expertise after hearing the opinion of the Council.
2.	The Prime Minister shall appoint experts with academic background in the aforementioned items that require expertise.
3.	Experts shall be dismissed upon completing the investigation of the aforementioned items that require expertise for which they were appointed.
4.	Experts shall preside over their roles on a part-time basis.

(Specialist Committee)
Article 2
The Council may establish specialist committees based on its decisions.
2.	The Chair shall appoint experts as members of the specialist committees. The Chair may, however, appoint Council members as members of the specialist committees when deemed necessary.
3.	Specialist committees shall be abolished upon completing the investigation for which they were established.
(Administrative Affairs)
Article 3
The administrative affairs of the Council shall be handled by the Director General for Science and Technology Policy of the Cabinet Office.
(Miscellaneous Provision)
Article 4
Matters concerning the process of proceedings and other necessary matters concerning the operation of the Council other than those stipulated by the Cabinet Order shall be determined by the Chair with the consultation of the Council.

Supplementary Provision
The Cabinet Order shall enter into force the day (January 6, 2001) the Partial Amendment to the Cabinet Office Establishment Law (Law No. 88 of 1999) takes effect.

Cabinet Office Establishment Law (Law No. 89 of 1999) (Excerpt)