Une concurrence vigoureuse sur le marché des produits constitue un élément essentiel pour assurer une croissance économique dynamique. Cette étude examine les conditions de la concurrence en liaison avec les performances économiques de la Suisse, dont la croissance a été plus faible que dans la plupart des pays OCDE depuis 1980. Elle montre que d’importants progrès de la réforme des marchés des produits sont possibles dans un vaste ensemble de domaines, ce qui pourrait contribuer à réduire l’écart excessif de prix par rapport aux autres pays et renforcer la croissance. Ces réformes devraient concerner le cadre réglementaire de la concurrence, les industries de réseaux, le secteur de la santé, la révision de Loi sur le marché intérieur, les marchés publics, l’agriculture, les restrictions sur les importations parallèles et plus généralement l’ouverture des services à la concurrence étrangère ...
The strength of product market competition plays an important role in ensuring dynamic economic growth. This paper examines product market competition and its link with economic performance in Switzerland whose growth has been weaker than in most OECD countries since 1980. It shows that substantial progress in reforming product markets can be made in many areas, which would contribute to reduce the excessive price differential vis-à-vis other countries and stimulate growth. These reforms should focus on the legal framework of competition, the network industries, the health sector, the revision of the Domestic Market Act, agriculture, the restriction on parallel imports and, more generally, the opening up of services to foreign competition ...
- In most OECD countries, the structure of the pension system does not give much potential for individual choice. The Swiss pension system is a particularly interesting case in this respect. Switzerland relies heavily on privately-managed, fully-funded pensions, which employers are obliged to provide. The employees have only a very limited range of individual choice within this system and there has been increasing political pressure to give members more control over their benefits. More choice would increase competition among funds, lead to higher returns on investment of pension funds, improve customer services and result in higher member satisfaction due to more tailored benefit packages.
- This paper examines the choices currently available to members of occupational pension schemes in Switzerland and how they are making use of these options. It goes on to consider which expansions in choice might be desirable and what obstacles may be in the way of such changes. A particular ...
Switzerland is a highly decentralised country with large spending and revenue-raising powers devolved to cantons and municipalities. The federal system, in combination with an extensive use of direct democracy, has contributed to keep public spending at a relatively low level in international comparison. It has also made it possible to tailor the provision of public services to citizens’ needs and willingness to pay and to experiment with a variety of policies. At the same time, several tensions have emerged and effective control of spending deteriorated during the 1990s. After identifying these tensions, this paper reviews recent policy initiatives and proposes options for further enhancing public spending effectiveness. These entail implementing a new fiscal rule which will allow the free play of the automatic stabilisers at the federal level and ensuring its consistency with other government levels’ behaviour; increasing transparency in public spending costs and ...
There is a considerable interest in some OECD countries in understanding how greater choice in health markets can be combined with the equity and efficiency goals of health systems.
This paper reviews the system of free choice of insurer in basic mandatory health insurance that was introduced in Switzerland with the 1994 Health Insurance Law (LAMal). The thrust of the reform was to increase solidarity in basic health insurance while enhancing choice among individuals and competition on quality-price ratios among insurers. The reform encompassed regulatory mechanisms to facilitate the switching mechanism and choice-led competition, such as measures to ensure cross-subsidisation across individuals of different risk and income, information disclosure requirements for insurers, and the mandatory participation to a risk equalisation mechanism for all insurers offering basic health insurance.
The analysis presented in this paper suggests that some features of the individual choice ...
There have been a number of tax reforms in Switzerland in recent years aimed at enhancing economic efficiency and equity. This paper sets these reforms in the context of the forces shaping tax policy in Switzerland and the main features of the Swiss tax system and suggests areas where further reforms could be beneficial. These include applying more equal tax treatment to different forms of savings, moving to a flat-rate tax on corporate profits in all cantons and making greater use of environmental taxes. It is recognised that Switzerland’s highly decentralised federal structure and system of direct democracy can slow reforms, although these features also increase the legitimacy of reforms, reducing the risk of policy reversals ...
Canada
Liability and compensation
France
Liability and compensation
Nuclear safety and radiological protection
Greece
Organisation and structure
Hungary
General legislation
India
Liability and compensation
Japan
Liability and compensation
Korea
Liability and compensation
Lithuania
General legislation
Transport of radioactive material
Slovak Republic
International co-operation
Liability and compensation
Slovenia
General legislation
Switzerland
Liability and compensation
United States
Radioactive waste management
Canada
Judicial review of Ontario Power Generation’s Darlington new nuclear power plant project licence to prepare site
France
Court of Appeal of Toulouse, 3 December 2012, Judgement No. 1200867, Golfech -
Prosecution for accidental spillage of radioactive effluents
Court of Cassation, Criminal Chamber, 20 November 2012, Decision No. 11-87531
India
Ruling from India’s Supreme Court in a public interest litigation regarding
Kundankulam
Switzerland
Unlimited-duration operating licence granted to the Mühleberg nuclear power plant
United States
Judgment of the Court of Appeals for the first circuit upholding NRC’s consideration of wind power as alternative to relicensing under NEPA
Judgment of the Court of Appeals for the second circuit upholding NRC’s authority to issue exemptions and remanding for consideration of public participation in preparation of environmental assessment and finding of no significant impact
Judgment of the Court of Appeals for the first circuit upholding NRC’s decision not to reopen or suspend Pilgrim relicensing proceeding
Judgment of the Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit Vacating the NRC’s Transfer of Authority to State of New Jersey over Cleanup of Manufacturing Site
Judgment of the Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit Upholding the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)’s Issuance of Combined Operating Licence and Amended Design Certification
Canada
Recours (demande de contrôle judiciaire) contre le permis de préparation de l’emplacement de la nouvelle centrale nucléaire d’Ontario Power Generation à Darlington
France
Cour d’appel de Toulouse, 3ème chambre, 3 décembre 2012, n° 1200867, Golfech
Poursuite pour rejet accidentel d’effluents radioactifs
Cour de cassation, chambre criminelle, 14 décembre 2012, n° 11-87531
Inde
Décision de la Cour suprême d’Inde dans l’action d’intérêt public relative à la centrale nucléaire de Kudankulam
Suisse
Autorisation d'exploiter de durée illimitée pour la centrale nucléaire de Mühleberg
États-Unis
Arrêt de la cour d’appel fédérale du premier circuit faisant droit à la prise en compte par la NRC de l’énergie éolienne comme option de substitution au renouvellement d’une autorisation d’exploitation en application de la loi NEPA
Arrêt de la cour d’appel fédérale du deuxième circuit confirmant la compétence de la NRC pour délivrer des exemptions, et renvoyant l’affaire pour que soit prise en compte la participation du public dans la préparation de l’évaluation environnementale et la conclusion d’absence d’impact majeur
Arrêt de la cour d’appel fédérale du premier circuit confirmant la décision de la NRC de ne pas rouvrir ni suspendre la procédure de renouvellement de l’autorisation d’exploitation pour la centrale de Pilgrim
Arrêt de la cour d’appel fédérale du circuit du district de Columbia invalidant le transfert de compétence de la NRC vers l’État du New Jersey pour la réhabilitation d’un site industriel
Arrêt de la cour d’appel fédérale pour le circuit du district de Columbia confirmant la délivrance d’une autorisation combinée de construction et d’exploitation (COL) et d’une certification modifiée de la conception
Sûreté nucléaire et radioprotection
Brésil
Cadre juridique général
Canada
Protection de l’environnement
Émirats arabes unis
Cadre juridique général
Responsabilité et indemnisation
États-Unis
Sûreté nucléaire
Préparation aux situations d’urgence
France
Gestion des déchets radioactifs
Géorgie
Sûreté nucléaire et radioprotection
Grèce
Sûreté nucléaire
Préparation et conduite des interventions d’urgence
Inde
Processus d’autorisation et cadre réglementaire
Responsabilité et indemnisation
Irlande
Sûreté nucléaire et radioprotection
Japon
Loi instituant l’Autorité de sûreté nucléaire
Lituanie
Cadre juridique général
Processus d’autorisation et cadre réglementaire
Sécurité nucléaire
Gestion des déchets radioactifs
Suisse
Cadre juridique général
Ukraine
Gestion des déchets radioactifs
Cadre juridique général
Allemagne
Requête d’arbitrage introduite devant le Centre international pour le règlement des différends relatifs aux investissements (CIRDI) de la Banque mondiale contre l’Allemagne en raison de la législation allemande qui conduit à une sortie progressive du nucléaire
États-Unis
Arrêt de la cour d’appel du circuit du district de Columbia annulant la mise à jour de la décision de la NRC relative à la confiance en matière de gestion des déchets
France
Cour administrative d’appel de Lyon, 19 juin 2012, arrêts numéros 12LY00233 et 12LY00290 relatifs au permis de construire délivré à EDF en vue de l’édification d’une installation de conditionnement et d’entreposage de déchets (ICEDA) dans la commune de Saint-Vulbas
Inde
Affaires relatives au projet nucléaire de Kudankulam
Suisse
Arrêt du Tribunal administratif fédéral dans l’affaire Balmer-Schafroth et consorts contre BKW FMB Energie SA concernant le retrait de l’autorisation d’exploiter la centrale nucléaire de Mühleberg
Malgré sa contribution significative aux négociations de la Convention de Paris, la Suisse vient seulement de la ratifier, avec tous ses protocoles d’amendement. La Suisse ne sera liée par le régime de la Convention de Paris, dans sa totalité, qu’à l’entrée en vigueur des Protocoles de 2004. Le Conseil fédéral fixera la date d’entrée en vigueur d’une révision de la loi sur la responsabilité civile en matière nucléaire et ratifiera le Protocole commun au même moment. Étant partie au régime de responsabilité civile de Paris ainsi qu’au Protocole commun, la Suisse aura donc des liens conventionnels avec les États parties au régime de Paris et les États parties au régime de Vienne qui sont également parties au Protocole commun.
France
Administrative Court of Appeal of Lyon, 19 June 2012, Judgements Nos. 12LY00233 and 12LY00290 regarding EDF’s permit to construct a waste conditioning and storage facility (ICEDA) in the town of Saint-Vulbas
Germany
Request for arbitration against Germany at the World Bank’s International Centre for the Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) because of Germany’s legislation leading to the phase-out of nuclear energy
India
Cases related to the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project (KKNPP)
Switzerland
Judgement of the Federal Administrative Court in the matter of Balmer-Schafroth a.o.v. BKW FMB Energy Inc. on the revocation of the operating licence for the Mühleberg nuclear power plant
United States
Judgement of the Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit vacating the NRC’s 2010 Waste Confidence Decision and Rule Update
In spite of the active role Switzerland played during the negotiation process of the Paris Convention, it only recently ratified the Convention including all its amending Protocols. The whole Paris regime will become binding for Switzerland only upon entry into force of the Protocols of 2004. Concurrently, the Federal Council will put into force a revised Swiss Nuclear Liability Act and ratify the Joint Protocol. Being a party to the Paris regime and the Joint Protocol, Switzerland will be in treaty relationships with Paris states and with Vienna states which are party to the Joint Protocol.
Nuclear safety and radiological protection
Brazil
General legislation
Canada
Environmental protection
France
Radioactive waste management
Georgia
Nuclear safety and radiological protection
Greece
Nuclear safety
Emergency preparedness and response
India
Licensing and regulatory infrastructure
Liability and compensation
Ireland
Nuclear safety and radiological protection
Japan
Nuclear Regulation Authority Act
Lithuania
General legislation
Licensing and regulatory infrastructure
Nuclear security
Radioactive waste management
Switzerland
General legislation
Ukraine
Radioactive waste management
General legislation
United Arab Emirates
General legislation
Liability and compensation
United States
Nuclear safety
Emergency preparedness
This study investigates the usefulness of business tendency surveys collected at the KOF Swiss Economic Institute and aggregated in the form of the KOF Employment Indicator for short-term forecasting of employment in Switzerland. We use a real-time dataset in order to simulate the actual predictive process using only information that was available at the time when predictions were made. We evaluate the predictive content of the KOF Employment Indicator both for nowcasts that are published two months before the first official release, and for one-quarter ahead forecasts published five months before the first official release. We find that inclusion of the KOF Employment Indicator leads to a substantial improvement in prediction accuracy of both point and density forecasts compared to the performance of a benchmark autoregressive model.