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Prepared by the OECD’s Competition Committee, this report focuses on the telecommunications industry and seeks to deepen the understanding of access regulation. Access issues are not easy issues for regulators and competition policy-makers - they can be both difficult technically and the source of noisy disputes in practice. By bringing together theory and practice, this report seeks to help regulators and policy-makers learn from OECD experience to achieve efficient and competitive outcomes.
This landmark study of the material well-being of older people in nine OECD countries -- Canada, Finland, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States -- uses a wealth of new data to shed light on the challenges that face policy-makers as they anticipate the coming retirement of the baby-boom generation. The findings are often surprising.
In all the countries surveyed, policies have been fundamentally successful: older people at all income levels tend to maintain or even increase their material standards of living once they stop working. This happens despite large differences in approaches to public policy, including the size of public pensions. The systems that provide resources to older people are considerably more complex than is usually taken into account in policy-making, and the effects of policy, while large, are less direct than often thought.
Demography and changing labour market patterns make reforms to these systems imperative. The challenge is to make needed changes without undermining past success. This is difficult, but entirely possible; the payoffs from relatively small changes in the balance between work and retirement could be particularly large.
The study examines the many diverse ways in which the nine countries are tackling this challenge and the lessons that have been learned from their experiences. It provides invaluable evidence for policy-makers, researchers and citizens concerned about the challenges posed for societies by ageing populations.
OECD countries are undergoing an unprecedented increase in the proportion of elderly people among their total populations. To address these issues, the OECD organised a conference in Oslo in May 2002. This report highlights how ageing will affect urban design and development in terms of housing, land use, transportation and the urban environment and points to the growing role of new technologies in member countries. The book, featuring statistical data, is for sociologists, policy researchers, journalists, librarians and economists.
The Guidelines are recommendations by governments covering all major areas of business ethics, including corporate steps to obey the law, observe internationally-recognised standards and respond to other societal expectations. This report describes the actions taken by the adhering governments to implement the Guidelines.
The OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises are recommendations for international business conduct in such areas as labour, environment, consumer protection and the fight against corruption. The recommendations are made by the adhering governments and, although they are not binding, governments are committed to promoting their observance.
This book provides the complete text of the Guidelines along with an account of what the 38 adhering governments have been doing to enhance the contribution of the Guidelines to the improved functioning of the global economy. The 2004 edition also provides an overview of how to encourage the positive contribution of business to the environment through the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises.
The OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises are recommendations for international business conduct in such areas as labour, environment, consumer protection and the fight against corruption. The recommendations are made by the adhering governments and, although they are not binding, governments are committed to promoting their observance.
This book provides the complete text of the Guidelines along with an account of what the 38 adhering governments have been doing to enhance the contribution of the Guidelines to the improved functioning of the global economy. The 2005 edition also provides an overview of corporate responsibility in the developing world.
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 provides policymakers, legislators, businesses, civil society organisations and other stakeholders with an assessment of the legal and institutional environment in which civil society operates, together with recommendations for reform designed to enable civil society organisations, business associations, trade unions and the media to play a more active role in the fight against corruption. The report covers a wide range of issues including public attitudes, civil liberties, existing laws that facilitate the establishment of civil society organisations, freedom of the media, governmental transparency and co-operative partnerships between governments and civil society.
Prepared against this background, the OECD report Behind the Corporate Veil: Using Corporate Entities for Illicit Purposes opens ways to prevent and combat the misuse of corporate entities. The report shows that the types of corporate entities misused most frequently are those that provide the greatest degree of anonymity to their beneficial owners. With that in mind, the report offers governments and other relevant authorities a menu of policy options for obtaining information on the beneficial ownership and control of corporate entities in order to combat their misuse for illicit purposes.
Effective systems for allocating, managing and controlling public sector resources are fundamental elements of good governance. The need for continuing fiscal restraint and demands for more and better public services are changing budgetary practices in OECD countries. Budgets are being used increasingly as instruments for promoting managerial improvement and programme effectiveness, in addition to their control and allocation functions. This report analyses budget practices and innovations in twenty-two OECD countries. It describes how the practice of budgeting is contributing to a greater performance orientation in the public sector. It also provides standard summaries of the institutional framework and procedures governing budgeting in each of these countries.
In recent years, the main focus of territorial policy has been on sustaining growth, not only to address relative decline, but also to make regions more competitive. Putting this in practice is complicated because different regions have different characteristics (urban, intermediate, industrial, rural, etc.), which imply specific policy and investment needs. This report assesses the strategies pursued by OECD member governments to address the competitiveness of regional economies and the accompanying governance mechanisms on which the implementation of these strategies rests. The report is principally based on findings from the series of reviews undertaken by the OECD Territorial Development Policy Committee at national and regional levels.
Businesses’ Views on Red Tape provides the first opportunity to systematically compare data across 11 OECD countries. The data show how small and medium-sized enterprises perceive national administrative and regulatory costs. Regulations and government formalities, so-called "red tape", are important tools used by governments to carry out public policies in many policy areas, including safety, health, and environmental protection. However, if they are poorly designed or applied, inefficient, or outdated, they can impede innovation, entry, investment, and create unnecessary barriers to trade, investment, and economic efficiency. The result of poor regulation and formalities is that national economies become less able to grow, compete, adjust, and create jobs. Based on a survey of almost 8 000 businesses, this report assesses the quality, application and burdens of employment, environment and tax regulations and formalities. The results are dramatic: for example, red tape accounts for 4% of the annual turnover of companies, while the hardest hit are the smallest companies, and these costs are growing in most countries.
These proceedings, based on a conference held in November 2004 at OECD in Paris, present leading academic analysis as well as government and private sector information and experience-sharing on how governments and the financial and insurance sectors can deal with losses caused by terrorism, atmosperic perils, and other large-scale risks.
Governments are amongst the major issuers of debt instruments in the global financial market. The present volume provides quantitative information on central government debt instruments to meet the analytical requirements of users such as policy makers, debt management experts and market analysts. Statistics are presented according to a comprehensive standard framework to allow cross-country comparison.
Country notes provide information on debt issuance in each country as well as on the institutional and regulatory framework governing debt management policy and selling techniques.
Governments are the major issuers of debt instruments in the global financial market. This 2004 edition provides quantitative information on central government debt instruments for the 30 OECD member countries for the period 1993 to 2002. Cross-country summary tables provide data in US dollars and more detailed country tables provide data in national currency values.
Statistics are presented according to a comprehensive standard framework to allow cross-country comparison. Country notes provide information on debt issuance in each country as well as on the institutional and regulatory framework governing debt management policy and selling techniques.
Governments are the major issuers of debt instruments in the global financial market. This 2005 edition provides quantitative information on central government debt broken down by instrument and duration for the 30 OECD member countries for the period 1994 to 2003. Cross-country summary tables provide data in US dollars and more detailed country tables provide data in national currency values.
Statistics are presented according to a comprehensive standard framework to allow cross-country comparison. Country notes provide information on debt issuance in each country as well as on the institutional and regulatory framework governing debt management policy and selling techniques.
Also available on line at www.OCD-iLibrary.org .
This volume provides quantitative information on central government debt instruments for the 30 OECD member countries to meet the analytical requirements of users such as policy makers, debt management experts and market analysts. Statistics are presented according to a comprehensive standard framework to allow cross-country comparison. Country notes provide information on debt issuance in each country as well as on the institutional and regulatory framework governing debt management policy and selling techniques.
The study draws extensively on Chinese government and other sources to provide a detailed and up-to-date picture of the current state of China's public expenditure policies, the main reforms that are being undertaken, and the problems that remain to be resolved. Topics covered: key characteristics of China's budget and recent trends; the allocation of spending; the uneven pattern of fiscal decentralisation; gaps between expenditure needs and fiscal resources for local governments and their consequences.