September 27, 2005
The Ministry of the Environment (MOE) will set up seven Regional Environment Offices (hereinafter referred to as "the REOs") throughout Japan as local bureaus of the MOE as of October 1, 2005. The purpose of establishment is to undertake environmental administration which is maneuverable and detailed to cope with specific situation in each region.
Environmental administration today is required to deploy policy measures for waste management and recycling, global warming and nature conservation pivoting on regions. In response to this demand, the REOs shall be established on October 1, 2005 to implement maneuverable and detailed policies. These REOs shall be entrusted with statutory and budget execution authorities. These REOs are reorganizing the existing Regional Offices for Nature Conservation and Regional Environmental Affairs Offices. The Law for the Establishment of the Ministry of the Environment was partially amended for the reform and was promulgated on April 27, 2005.
The REOs shall be a front man for the MOE in the region. It confronts with regional issues from the perspective of each region and creates partnership among local governments, experts, citizens to solve those issues. With the establishment of the REOs, the "Regional Environmental Affairs Office" is established in the Policy Coordination/Evaluation and Public Relations Division, Minister's Secretariat of the MOE to handle various administrative works for organization and management of the REO. The Law for the Establishment of the Ministry of the Environment was partially amended for this reform and was promulgated on September 20, 2005.
<Regional Environment Office>
| 1. | Duties |
The Regional Environment Offices (REOs) shall take over duties performed by Regional Offices for Nature Conservation and Regional Environmental Affairs Offices and implement authorities vested by the Minister of the Environment by individual laws. The organization and main duties of the REOs are shown in Table 1.
In addition, a Conservation Supervisor shall be appointed to support the Directors of the REOs. Duties of officers responsible for specific matters of natural environment are reorganized and the following officers shall be appointed; Senior Coordinator for Nature Conservation, Satochi and Satoyama Conservation Coordinator, Nature Restoration Coordinator, Biodiversity Conservation Coordinator, National Park Management Coordinator, Wildlife Management Coordinator, and Senior Ranger for Nature Conservation and Ranger for Nature Conservation. These positions are stipulated in the Regulation for Organization of Regional Environment Office promulgated on September 20, 2005.
| 2. | Ministerial authority delegated to the REOs |
The authority delegated to the REOs are stipulated in the supplementary provision of the Cabinet Order Partially Amending the Cabinet Order for Organization of the Ministry of the Environment (promulgated on July 29, 2005) and the Ministerial Ordinance for Adjusting Related Ministerial Ordinances for Delegating Authority of the Ministry of the Environment (promulgated on September 20, 2005).
| 3. | Names, location and jurisdictional districts of the REOs (Table 2) |
In order to implement duties more closely related to the regions, officers shall be appointed to 12 offices located in the area where former regional offices for nature conservation were located aside from 7 locations above. In addition, to maintain the functions of on-site management of national parks, 71 Ranger Offices for Nature Conservation shall be placed in required location.
[LINK]
| * Authority of the Minister of the Environment delegated to the REOs (in Japanese) |
| * Location Map of the Regional Environment Offices (in Japanese) |
| * Table 1 | Organization and Main Duties of the Regional Environment Office |
| * Table 2 | Names, location and jurisdictional districts of the Regional Environment Office |