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This edition of OECD's periodic economic survey of Mexico examines key challenges Mexico faces in the medium-term including strengthening public finances, maximising the gains from integration into the world economy, improving infrastructure (including transport, telecommunications, electricity, and natural gas), and creating more and better jobs to alleviate poverty.
This report presents the results of a survey of over 800 genetic testing laboratory directors in 18 OECD countries. It provides the first detailed overview of the availability and extent of molecular genetic testing across OECD member countries. The survey allowed the OECD to compare practices in individual countries in order to inform international action in setting standards and developing guidelines for practice. Based on the survey results, the report puts forward recommendations for action for better quality assurance and proficiency of molecular genetic testing. It shows, for example, that requirements for licensing and accreditation/certification of diagnostic molecular genetic testing laboratories have not penetrated OECD countries to a high degree or with any consistency. Considerable variations exist in mechanisms of licensing, certification and accreditation, including the standards by which tests are performed, results are reported, and the qualifications for laboratory personnel.
A lo largo de los últimos diez años, México ha logrado avances significativos hacia la estabilidad macroeconómica, habiendo puesto en marcha importantes reformas estructurales para abrir adicionalmente la economía al comercio y mejorar el funcionamiento de los mercados de bienes y servicios, así como para desarrollar al sector financiero. Estos esfuerzos han fructificado en un desempeño relativamente favorable. Luego de un sólido desempeño en 2006, se espera que el crecimiento de la producción resulte cercano al nivel potencial entre 3.5 y 4 por ciento durante los próximos dos años. Sin embargo, el crecimiento potencial del PIB resulta demasiado bajo para lograr cerrar la brecha en el nivel de vida con respecto a los países más ricos de la OCDE y abordar el problema persistente de la extensa pobreza. A fin de movilizar a la economía hacia un camino de crecimiento mayor y sostenible, se requiere un nuevo esfuerzo en el terreno de las reformas en un espectro amplio.
L’adjudication par appels d’offres est un moyen d’ouvrir le marché des transports ferroviaires à la concurrence tout en conservant un réseau intégré de services. Cette pratique a été utilisée pour les transports ferroviaires de marchandises dans certains pays. Mais elle est surtout intéressante pour les réseaux de transport de passagers lorsque des services subventionnés rendent difficile, voire impossible, l’instauration d’une concurrence entre des trains assurant les mêmes trajets. Ce rapport passe en revue les expériences d’adjudication par appels d’offres des services ferroviaires mises en œuvre à ce jour de par le monde. Il cherche à tirer des enseignements susceptibles d’améliorer la conception des concessions et de la réglementation, à partir d’exemples de réussite ou de cas moins probants. Les travaux reposent sur des examens approfondis - menés par d’éminents experts - des expériences de concessions de transports ferroviaires de voyageurs au Royaume-Uni, en Australie, en Allemagne, en Suède et aux Pays-Bas. Ils s’appuient également sur des exemples de concessions de fret ferroviaire en Amérique latine.
Agricultural policies are dominated by broad measures such as market price support and general payments to all land, animals or farmers. As a result, it is often difficult to associate a particular policy with any specific objective. Recognising the challenge facing policy makers who wish to design more precisely targeted policies, this study defines the operational characteristics of targeted policies and illustrates best practice with concrete examples. The relationship between target variables and objectives is explored and practical ways to define targets or actions are also examined.
Competitive tendering provides a way to introduce competition to railways whilst preserving an integrated network of services. It has been used for freight railways in some countries but is particularly attractive for passenger networks when subsidised services make competition between trains serving the same routes difficult or impossible to organise. This report examines experience to date from around the world in competitively tendering rail services. It seeks to draw lessons for effective design of concessions and regulation from both the successful and less successful cases examined. The work is based on detailed examinations by leading experts of the experience of passenger rail concessions in the United Kingdom, Australia, Germany, Sweden and the Netherlands. It also draws on examples of freight rail concessions in Latin America.
The study provides a major reassessment of the scale and scope of China’s resurgence over the past half century, employing quantitative measurement techniques which are standard practice in OECD countries. It uses a comparative approach to explain why China’s role in the world economy has changed so dramatically in the last thousand years. It concludes that China is likely to resume its natural role as the world’s largest economy by the year 2015, thus regaining the position it had held until 1890. A dynamic link (StatLink) is provided for each table and graph, which directs the user to a web page where the corresponding data are available in Excel® format. Except for Appendix A, this edition has been revised and updated and Chapter 4 is completely new.
"..ambitious in scope and packed with facts. Highly recommended."
-Choice
"The book is a must for anyone who wants to understand the past and the future of the Chinese economy."
-Justin Yifu Lin, Founding Director, China Center for Economic Research,
Peking University.
"This second edition is a very impressive and important contribution to a subject that has deep significance for the world economy."
-Professor Lawrence Klein, Nobel Laureate.
"A welcome update to a dazzling essay."
-Nicholas Eberstadt, American Enterprise Institute.
"This review of a millenium of Chinese economic history and its implications for the future of China and the World is a remarkable achievement. A must read for anyone interested in China."
-Dwight H. Perkins, Harvard University.
"A great masterpiece in the field of economic history, the shoulders of a giant on which new generations of scholars from all over the world will stand. We Chinese scholars will benefit as greatly from this second edition as we have from the first."
-Li Bozhong, Professor of History, Tsinghua University, Beijing.
Angus Maddison is Emeritus Professor of Economic Growth and Development at the University of Groningen. He held a number of senior posts at OEEC and OECD between 1953 and 1978, and has been a policy advisor to governments in Brazil, Ghana, Greece, Mexico and Pakistan. He is the author of 20 books on the long run performance of nations, and their interactions within the world economy. He has built up an international network of scholars working in this field. He is a fellow of the British Academy, a member of the American Academy of Arts and Science, and an honorary fellow of Selwyn College, Cambridge.
In this workshop proceedings, Spanish stakeholders and delegates from 14 countries discuss current co-ordination of radioactive waste management decision making in Spain. Findings were shared from Cowam-Spain, a co-operative research project on the involvement of local stakeholders, the relationship between national and local levels of decision making, and the long-term sustainability of decisions regarding the siting of a centralised interim storage facility for high-level waste. These proceedings include the workshop presentations and discussions, as well as the rapporteurs' reflections on what was learned about policy making and participative decision making.
In dieser zweiten Ausgabe werden die Detailinformationen zu den Kernmerkmalen der obligatorischen – öffentlichen und privaten – Rentenversicherung in den 30 OECD-Ländern aktualisiert, insbesondere die Projektionen für die Renteneinkommen, über die die heute Erwerbstätigen im Ruhestand verfügen werden.
Zwei neue und wichtige Abschnitte sind in dieser Ausgabe hinzugefügt worden: 1. eine Beschreibung und Analyse der Rentenreformen in den OECD-Ländern während der vergangenen zehn Jahre und 2. eine eingehendere Betrachtung des komplexen Spektrums privater freiwilliger Altersvorsorgepläne, die in vielen OECD-Ländern bei der Gewährleistung der Renteneinkommen nunmehr eine größere Rolle spielen, einschließlich einer Analyse der zur Sicherung des Lebensstandards während des Ruhestands erforderlichen Sparanstrengungen.
Drawing on an expanding array of intelligent web services and applications, a growing number of people are creating, distributing and exploiting user-created content (UCC) and being part of the wider participative web. This study describes the rapid growth of UCC and its increasing role in worldwide communication, and draws out implications for policy. Questions addressed include: What is user-created content? What are its key drivers, its scope and different forms? What are the new value chains and business models? What are the extent and form of social, cultural and economic opportunities and impacts? What are the associated challenges? Is there a government role, and what form could it take?
This 2007 edition of OECD's periodic economic survey of the British economy finds that the UK has embraced globalisation and has been rewarded with strong growth and performance, but that the near-term outlook is more uncertain, given recent financial market turbulence. Among other issues, it looks at key challenges including globalisation, raising educational achievement, improving work prospects for the least skilled, the productivity gap, and tax competition.
L'éducation est un élément clé du succès économique, aussi bien des nations que des individus. Pour la première fois, l'OCDE tente de rassembler et de synthétiser dans cet ouvrage les développements relatifs à la mesure de ces effets sociaux. L'accent est mis sur deux grands domaines : la santé, et l'engagement civique et social. En général, plus on est éduqué, plus on est en bonne santé et plus on participe aux activités d'ordre civique. Pourquoi est-ce ainsi ? Ce rapport offre des perspectives et des modèles nouveaux sur ces importantes questions d'actualité. Pour ce faire, il se fonde sur des travaux couvrant 13 pays de l'OCDE : l'Autriche, la Belgique (flamande), le Canada, la Corée du Sud, les États-Unis, le Japon, le Luxembourg, la Norvège, la Nouvelle-Zélande, les Pays-Bas, le Royaume-Uni (Angleterre et Écosse), la Suède et la Suisse.
Cutting red tape and improving business conditions have become a priority in OECD countries. This study of the Netherlands, one of the front runners in the field, is the first OECD review of a national programme for administrative simplification. The report describes the key features of the Dutch programme including the measurement of burdens, the use of incentives and targets, and whole-of-government co-ordination. The OECD assessment of the success of the Dutch programme is based on comparisons with other countries, and on evidence of the economic impact of reforms. The report explores options for future work on administrative simplification relevant to OECD countries, highlighting the need to communicate better with stakeholders, cover compliance costs for business more broadly, and look at burdens on citizens and administrations.