Modernisation of the public comment system

委員会:
Government Relations
進捗:
新規
作成日:
Japan's current public comment system was established under the Administrative Procedure Act in 2005 to improve transparency and allow interested parties to contribute their views and expertise before regulations are finalised. While the system remains an important part of transparent policymaking, the environment in which it operates has changed significantly. Online submissions, social media campaigns and increasingly AI-generated content can result in large volumes of identical or substantially similar comments, making it more difficult for authorities to identify and assess substantive input.The EBC believes that the public comment system should be modernised to preserve meaningful participation while placing greater emphasis on the quality, relevance and evidence supporting submissions rather than their volume. Public consultation should support a genuine exchange of information: affected stakeholders can explain how proposals are likely to operate in practice, provide technical evidence and share relevant international experience. International businesses can add particular value by identifying global approaches that may be useful and explaining how they could be adapted to Japan’s regulatory, business and social context.

提案

  • Modernise the public comment system to reflect changes in technology and public participation since its introduction in 2005, while maintaining open and transparent access to the consultation process.
  • Place greater emphasis on substantive and evidence-based contributions, ensuring that large volumes of identical or substantially similar submissions do not reduce the visibility or consideration of detailed comments.
  • Strengthen regulatory dialogue with affected stakeholders, including international businesses and chambers of commerce, so policymakers can draw on technical expertise and global experience, assess the likely economic and cross-border effects of proposed regulations, and consider how relevant international approaches could be adapted to Japan.
  • Improve transparency on how comments are considered, including clearer explanations of how substantive stakeholder input has influenced the final regulation or why specific recommendations were not adopted.
  • Expand the possibility to submit public comments in English.