Browse by: "PRE-2006"

Traditionally, pay analysis in the public sector has been based on cross section data, such as average or median wages. This study differs in that micro longitudinal data are used to explain and compare pay determination in the French and Italian civil services. Based on examples, the report presents different readings obtained from aggregate data and individual longitudinal data. It focuses on the weight of various components of human capital -- gender, age, year of birth, seniority, educational level -- on trends in civil servants' pay throughout working life. This type of analysis sheds new light in the area of human resource management in the civil service and, in particular, may be seen as a key tool for analysing gender pay discrimination.

Controlling public spending is a priority for OECD countries. Salary policy in the public sector is therefore of particular concern. This new annual report analyses recent trends in public sector pay in OECD countries. It examines the links between public expenditure and public sector compensation costs, and presents recent developments in pay determination systems in the public sector. It provides information on the level and the components of individual remuneration for a typical employee in ten selected occupations, and identifies various mechanisms implemented in countries to make individual pay more flexible. Every year, a chapter focusing on a specific experience in the public sector pay area will be added. This report should be of particular interest to public officials responsible for defining, implementing and monitoring pay policy in the public sector and to experts in pay determination systems, employment systems and industrial relations in the public and private sectors.

The links between trade policy and competition policy have become more important in recent years. With tariff reductions, trade negotiators are looking increasingly at non-border policies that distort trade and at non-governmental barriers to trade. And, as official barriers to trade and investment fall, firms may have a greater incentive to engage in anti-competitive conduct to protect markets. Hence the need for coherent trade and competition policies. Trade and competition policies each seek to improve the allocation of resources; they complement and reinforce each other. These papers from the OECD Joint Group on Trade and competition examine aspects of those complementarities and relationships and in so doing draw on the OECD’s capacity to analyse questions in a multidisciplinary way. This book -- which includes a whole chapter on the telecommunications sector -- throws new light on all these issues in the lead up to the WTO's new round of negotiations. But whatever the outcome of Seattle, the questions raised in this volume will remain relevant.

The OECD Joint Group on Trade and Competition was established in 1996 to help deepen understanding of the complex issues arising at the interface of these two policy domains against a globalising backdrop and explore how best to ensure that both sets of policies are mutually supportive in promoting greater economic efficiency. This publication, the third to arise from Joint Group activities, brings together a series of working papers that Member countries’ trade and competition authorities have considered during the past two years. The objective of the publication is to share with a broader audience the tangible progress made recently by the two communities in the analysis of important issues at the interface between trade and competition policies.

To further benefit from trade liberalisation, developed and developing countries must get their policies right, in trade and other spheres, such as the web of domestic regulations that affect commerce within and between countries. In the run-up to the November 1999 WTO Ministerial in Seattle, Washington, and a possible new round of multilateral trade negotiations, a Conference on trade and competition was held on 29-30 June 1999 at the OECD to explore the various options towards better coherence between trade and competition policies. This Conference provided OECD countries and 30 non-member countries, academics and representatives of business, trade unions and advocacy groups a unique opportunity to discuss ways to strengthen trade and competition policies in the interests of more open global markets. They examined the effects of trade measures on competition. They also debated whether private anticompetitive practices, and certain domestic regulations, point to the need for multilateral trade and competition rules. This publication summarises those discussions and includes keynote addresses by Sir Leon Brittan and U.S. Assistant Attorney General for Antitrust Joel Klein, as well as an issues paper drafted by the OECD Secretariat to serve as a background note for the Conference.

This book analyses the role of regional governments in the trade policy of the Russian Federation. It examines regional trade-related policies, such as subsidies, taxes and licensing, and their implications for Russia's international  trade commitments, and in particular its negotiations for accession to the  World Trade Organisation. In effect, when the Russian Federation accedes to  the WTO, it will be required to ensure that the laws and administrative practices of its sub-national governments are in conformity with its WTO  commitments.

There is an emerging consensus concerning a new strategic mode for spatial policy. In the past, planning resulted in zoned land uses characterised by a rigid separation of housing from leisure and workplaces. This strongly sectoral approach is breaking down under the pressure of environmental problems, technological innovations, and a societal demand for a higher quality of life. Spatial planning will increasingly involve broad framework policies at the national level, and strong partnerships at the local and regional level. This volume is based on two international seminars oranised by the OECD and the National Land Agency, Japan.

E-government is more about government than about “e”. The spread of new information and communication technologies has spurred major changes at all levels of society and notably in citizen expectations. Governments have also been integrating those technologies into work practices to keep pace and enhance the policy outcomes, service quality, and responsiveness to citizens that determine their effectiveness. E-government initiatives can bolster government effectiveness in important ways like facilitating cross-agency cooperation on complex problems, fostering a customer focus for services, and building relationships with private sector partners. Delay in implementing e-government reforms can thus handicap economic development in this increasingly competitive, rapidly changing world.

Greece, Ireland and Portugal, on the periphery of Europe, are still influenced by a history of migration from agriculture to urban areas and to other countries, and have all received extensive assistance from the European Union's Structural Funds.
Which of these countries' varied, often innovative, strategies in relation to unemployment benefits, hiring subsidies and job creation measures, have been most effective? Employment services have taken on particular responsibility for training, but does this help the long-term unemployed? With a legacy of older workers who left school early, and continuing high levels of self-employment, how can placement performance be improved? This publication examines how the Public Employment Service can actively promote and manage transitions out of unemployment into market work, both directly and via labour market programmes.

This book shows hows how regulatory reform has produced substantial economic and social benefits for citizens by enhancing competition and reducing regulatory costs. It can boost efficiency, sharply reduce prices, stimulate innovation, and improve the ability of economies to adapt to change and remain competitive in global markets. Properly done, regulatory reform also can help governments promote other important policy goals, such as environmental quality, health, and safety. Finally, country experience shows that disruptions which can accompany reform can be addressed by complementary policies and actions. In this Report, the OECD calls for renewed attention to regulatory reform, and the recommendations in this Report constitute an ambitious plan for action. In May 1997, Ministers of OECD countries welcomed this Report and agreed to work to implement its recommendations in their countries.

This book examines the major rural developments and the issues that policy makers have been dealing with across the OECD over the last two decades.  The OECD Conference, held in Siena, Italy, in July 2002, on the Future of Rural Policy, identified the need for rural policies to look beyond agriculture and offer new trajectories of development.  It concluded that the major shift necessary to guarantee the future vitality of rural regions is the diversification of their economies.  The papers examine key critical issues, including the EU LEADER Community Initiative and the Mexican Micro-region programme and provide a new approach that recognises the importance of the interdependence between rural and urban areas, fostering investment (rather than distributing subsidies).  This approach also emphasises governance structures that get the locals involved in grass root initiatives to develop and implement new policies.  This book is for practitioners and policy makers involved in grass root policies.

The aim of this book is to make a significant contribution to guide countries in the financial war on terrorism.  It is published by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development on behalf of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the international body tasked with spearheading the global campaign against money laundering and terrorist financing.  It contains the FATF’s revised and updated recommendations on measures required to block criminal financial activity and cut off terrorist access to assets and funds, together with explanatory texts and examples of international best practice.  The volume is prefaced by Jochen Sanio, President of the Financial Supervisory Authority of the Federal Republic of Germany. The Financial War on Terrorism sets out a step-by-step illustrated roadmap for legislators, financial regulators and others involved in combating the financing of terrorists and their organisations.

In recent years, a significant number of OECD member countries have introduced initiatives to reduce the environmentally damaging effects of public procurement.  Many countries have introduced "greener public purchasing" (GPP) policies in order to increase the recycled content of products or achieve specified levels of energy efficiency in capital equipment.  This book examines these issues in detail.  It is the outcome of a Workshop on "Greener Public Purchasing", held at the Austrian Ministry of the Environment in Vienna in October 2001.

This book presents OECD policy conclusions and leading academic analysis on the financial management of terrorism risk nearly four years after the World Trade Centre attacks. It examines how the insurance market reacted after the 9/11 attacks, financial market solutions for terrorism risk, and possible roles for governments in the coverage of terrorism risk. It includes a table comparing terrorism insurance schemes in various OECD countries as well as an analysis of terrorism coverage in South Africa, Israel, and India.