LDP Panel Submits Recommendations on Nuclear Regulation to Prime Minister Takaichi

The Liberal Democratic Party's (LDP) Special Committee on Nuclear Regulation on June 8 compiled and submitted its "Recommendations on Enhancing and Strengthening Nuclear Safety Regulation and Emergency Preparedness (Interim Report) 2026" to Prime Minister TAKAICHI Sanae.

The recommendations consist of four pillars and 12 specific proposals: (1) streamlining and improving regulations, (2) establishing an environment for future development, (3) strengthening nuclear emergency preparedness and contingency response, and (4) enhancing public trust and institutional foundations.

Regarding regulatory reform, the report calls for the adoption of a graded approach based on risk and significance, an issue previously highlighted in the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) Integrated Regulatory Review Service (IRRS) mission. It also recommends extending intervals between periodic inspections based on risk assessments and examining the use of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) in regulatory activities.

For advanced reactor technologies-including small modular reactors (SMRs), high-temperature gas-cooled reactors (HTGRs), and fast reactors-the committee urged the government to improve the predictability of safety reviews and regulatory frameworks. It called for the timely presentation of regulatory principles necessary for developers and vendors to advance reactor design and development, while taking global technological trends into account.

The report also addressed financial support for infrastructure in communities hosting nuclear facilities. It noted that revisions to the Act on Special Financial Measures for Road Development Projects in 2018 effectively eliminated preferential treatment previously granted to roads in nuclear host communities compared with ordinary roads. The committee therefore called for higher national subsidy rates for the construction and improvement of evacuation routes.

In addition, the report identifies the maintenance and strengthening of the nuclear workforce as an urgent issue. To address the current fragmentation of human resource development policies across different sectors, it recommends establishing a central coordinating body involving industry, government, and academia, as well as formulating long-term strategies to secure nuclear talent.

In its concluding remarks, the committee acknowledges the efforts made by the Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) since its establishment in 2012. At the same time, it argues that, amid growing recognition of the importance of nuclear energy in a changing global environment, both the NRA and the Nuclear Regulation Authority Secretariat should evolve from organizations primarily focused on restoring public trust into administrative bodies that are both efficient and effective.