Browse by: "2006"

L’énergie, les transports, l’eau et les télécommunications sont autant d’infrastructures indispensables au développement et à la croissance, aujourd’hui comme demain. Au cours des prochaines décennies, les besoins en investissements infrastructurels seront massifs, et se chiffreront en trillions de dollars. Comment seront financés ces investissements, alors que les populations des pays de l’OCDE vieillissent rapidement et que la situation des finances publiques devient plus délicate ? Comment des facteurs tels que l’urbanisation, le changement climatique et la mondialisation affecteront-ils le développement des infrastructures dans les pays de l’OCDE ? et comment le rôle du secteur public et des acteurs privés évoluera-t-il au fil du temps ? Ce ne sont là que quelques-unes des questions que le rapport de l'OCDE rapport soulève dans son évaluation à long terme du devenir des infrastructures des pays de l'OCDE et de la zone non-OCDE.

Across the OECD, globalisation increasingly tests the ability of regional economies to adapt and exploit their competitive edge, as it also offers new opportunities for regional development.  This review of Newcastle in the United Kingdom looks at a medium-sized metropolitan area that is the growth centre for its region. This review makes a series of recommendations designed to consolidate governance structures and improve the competitiveness of the region vis-a-vis other similar regions across Europe.

This edition of OECD's periodic survey of the Turkish economy presents an overview of recent economic performance and suggests that Turkey needs to improve management of economic risks and resilience to shocks.  It discusses enhancing competitiveness and growth through regulatory simplification, which should also reduce incentives to operate in the informal economy.  It alo assesses the pension system, making quality education accessible to the whole population, and freeing the potential of agriculture.

Confidence in a country’s health care system requires indemnification and deterrence systems that adequately cover liability, provide fair compensation for injury, and deter medical malpractices.  Over the last years, in many OECD countries, these systems have experienced difficulties resulting in high-risk specialty physicians and surgeons leaving the practice and the development of expensive and useless—if not risky—defensive medicine.  This publication surveys and assesses various types of mechanisms and reforms that best limit and indemnify medical accidents. Reasons for difficulties faced by some compensation and prevention regimes, given the specificities of national circumstances and in particular of health care systems, are examined. The study offers a series of unique and focused policy options for establishing more efficient indemnification and deterrence systems to cope with medical accidents.

This edition of OECD's periodic survey of Brazil's economy finds progress in achieving macroeconomic stability and good growth prospects but recommends consolidating macroeconomic adjustment, boosting innovation performance, and improving labour utilisation. A series of recommendations in each of these areas is included.

This 2006 edition of OECD's periodic review of the Russian economy finds an economy enjoying robust growth, but requiring strengthening of the macroeconomic framework to sustain that growth.  Public administration urgently needs reform and raising innovation potential could do much to sustain rapid growth. The healthcare system suffers from fundamental imbalances and its reform could arrest the decline in health now being experienced.  This survey offers a series of recommendations for addressing these issues.

La fiabilité des systèmes de santé supposent des systèmes de compensation et de prévention qui couvrent de manière appropriée la responsabilité des professionnels et des établissements de santé et limitent les mauvaises pratiques médicales. Au cours des dernières années, dans certains pays de l’OCDE, les dispositifs d’indemnisation et de prévention des dommages ont rencontré des difficultés. Celles-ci ont notamment conduit certains spécialistes et chirurgiens à quitter leur métier ou à développer une médecine « défensive » coûteuse et inutile quand elle n’est pas porteuse de risque pour les patients. Cette publication évalue les différents types de dispositifs et de réformes élaborés afin de réduire et d’indemniser plus efficacement les incidents médicaux. En tenant compte des spécificités de chaque situation domestique et en particulier des systèmes de santé, l’étude analyse également les raisons principales des difficultés rencontrées par certains de ces systèmes de compensation et de prévention. L’étude offre une série unique de suggestions ciblées pour mettre en place un dispositif d’indemnisation/prévention plus efficace pour gérer les incidents résultant d’un traitement médical.

In West Africa, approximately 16 million people depend directly or indirectly on cotton cultivation. But subsidies in the developed world have suppressed cotton prices and have made it difficult for West African producers to compete.  Compounding the problem, WTO negotiations on the problem have been suspended.  This publication contends that the dialogue between developed and developing countries on this topic must continue. It sets out the regional stakes linked to the economic and social importance of cotton in West Africa. It retraces the consultation process on the West African cotton crisis with the aim of finding a negotiated solution acceptable to all parties. Also discussed are the challenges and the measures that need to be taken over the medium and long term in order to prevent this sub-sector’s sudden collapse.

The OECD Science, Technology and Industry Outlook 2006 offers a comprehensive review of key trends in science, technology and innovation policy, and an examination of recent policy developments in OECD countries. In addition to examining main trends across the OECD, the report delves into specific topics that are high on the agenda of innovation policy makers, including the role of intellectual property rights and technology licensing markets in innovation performance, policies to enhance benefits of the globalisation of business R&D, human resources for science and technology, and the evaluation of innovation policy. While retaining its focus on developments in OECD countries, this edition of this biennial publication highlights key developments in a number of important non-member economies, including China, Russia and South Africa. A statistical annex provides up-to-date statistics on R&D funding, patents, researchers and other indicators of innovative performance.  StatLinks provide internet access to Excel® spreadsheets of data underlying the tables presented.

Les Perspectives de la science, de la technologie et de l’industrie de l’OCDE offre un tour d’horizon complet des tendances clés de la politique de la science, de la technologie et de l’innovation en passant en revue les évolutions récentes des politiques publiques dans les pays de l’OCDE. Après avoir examiné les principales tendances dans l’ensemble des pays de l’OCDE, le rapport analyse plus en détail certains thèmes spécifiques qui sont au coeur des préoccupations des responsables de la politique d’innovation, notamment le rôle des droits de propriété intellectuelle et des marchés de vente de licences technologiques dans les performances en matière d’innovation, les politiques destinées à accroître les retombées de la mondialisation de la R-D réalisée par les entreprises, les ressources humaines en science et technologie et l’évaluation de la politique d’innovation. Tout en continuant de privilégier les évolutions dans les pays de l’OCDE, cette édition de la publication biennale met en lumière les évolutions clés dans un certain nombre de pays non membres importants, notamment la Chine, la Russie et l’Afrique du Sud. Une annexe statistique présente des données actualisées sur le financement de la R-D, les brevets, les chercheurs et d’autres indicateurs des performances en matière d’innovation. Les fichiers Excel® qui ont servi à produire les tableaux et graphiques sont disponibles via les liens StatLinks fournis.

En Afrique de l’Ouest, environ 16 millions de personnes vivent directement ou indirectement de la culture du coton. Or, les subventions du monde développé ont fait baisser le cours du coton, rendant la concurrence difficile pour les producteurs d'Afrique occidentale. Pour compliquer les choses, les négociations de l’OMC sur le coton ont été suspendues. Ce livre engage à poursuivre le dialogue entre pays développés et pays en développement sur ce point. Il montre à quel point le coton joue un rôle économique et social de premier plan en Afrique de l’Ouest. Il retrace le processus de consultations sur la crise du coton dans cette partie du monde afin de trouver une solution négociée et acceptable pour toutes les parties concernées. Enfin, il est aussi question des défis et des mesures qu’il convient de prendre à moyen et long terme pour éviter l’effondrement brutal de ce sous-secteur.

The OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises are recommendations to international business for conduct in such areas as labour, environment, consumer protection and the fight against corruption.  The recommendations are made by the adhering governments and, although not binding, governments are committed to promoting their observance.  This Annual Report provides an account of the actions the 39 adhering governments have taken over the 12 months to June 2006 to enhance the contribution of the Guidelines to the improved functioning of the global economy. One highlight of this reporting period was the completion of guidance for companies operating in weak governance zones.  This Tool aims to help companies that invest in countries where governments are unable or unwilling to take up their responsibilities by offering considerations in such areas as obeying the law and observing international instruments; political activities; knowing clients and business partners; and speaking out about wrongdoing.

This report analyses the effects of Mexico’s ambitious reforms to agricultural and fisheries policies since 1990 and makes recommendations for further reforms. The evaluation is based on criteria for good agricultural and fisheries policy as agreed to by OECD countries. Such criteria, if implemented, would support economically healthy sectors that contribute to the wider economy, respect natural resources and use inputs effectively without resorting to distorting subsidies.

This International Energy Agency review of Greece's energy policies provides a comprehensive assessment of Greece's energy policies and programs. Covering oil, natural gas, renewables, and electricity and lignite, the review also examines cross-cutting issues like energy and the environment, energy efficiency, and energy technology and R&D.  The report finds that in recent years, Greece has much progress in reforming its electricity and gas markets, but further reform is needed to achieve a fully competitive energy market.  The report also recommends actions to reduce CO2 emissions, reduce dependence on oil, and increase energy efficiency.

These Guidelines offer principles and best practices for the licensing of genetic inventions used in human health care. They are targeted at all those involved with innovation and the provision of services in health, and particularly at those involved in the licensing of such inventions. The Guidelines are intended to assist both OECD and Non-OECD governments in the development of governmental policies as well as in their efforts to encourage appropriate behaviour in the licensing and transferring of genetic inventions. Overall, the Guidelines seek to foster the development and delivery to the market of products and services based on genetic inventions, such as therapeutics and diagnostics, in order to more effectively and efficiently address health care needs in both OECD member and non member countries.

Red tape is burdensome to companies,  inhibits entrepreneurship, and reduces competitiveness.  This book examines country strategies and tools for reducing red tape and the institutional frameworks set up to reduce red tape, and finds what the trends are and what strategies are working. 

La Suisse est un des pays les plus innovants au monde, mais elle devra doit donc innover davantage si elle souhaite accélérer sa croissance économique et préserver son niveau de vie exceptionnel dans un contexte de mondialisation accrue. Cet examen approfondi propose des réformes susceptibles de l’aider à relever ce défi.

Ireland was one of the first European countries to grasp the economic importance of education. But higher education in Ireland is now at a crossroads, with significant challenges to overcome.  High levels of investment are needed for a major expansion of postgraduate studies and capacity for research, development and innovation. Mechanisms should be established to achieve the right balance between different components of the tertiary education system, which includes universities, institutes of technology and colleges that provide post-secondary level instruction. Further, there is a need to meet the demands of specialisation, competition and complementarities within the system.  This report addresses the full range of higher education issues, offers recommendations for action within the framework of the government’s ambitions for the sector and suggests policy approaches to developing required additional sources of funding.