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The SME Policy Index is a benchmarking tool designed for emerging economies to assess SME policy frameworks and monitor progress in policy implementation over time. The Index has been developed by the OECD in partnership with the European Commission, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), and the European Training Foundation (ETF) in 2006.
For the Eastern Partner Countries, the assessment framework is structured around the ten principles of the Small Business Act for Europe (SBA), providing a wide-range of pro-enterprise measures to guide the design and implementation of SME policies based on good practices promoted by the EU and the OECD. It is applied to the Eastern Partner Countries for the second time since 2012.
The Index identifies strengths and weaknesses in policy design and implementation, allows for comparison across countries and measures convergence towards good practices and relevant policy standards. It aims to support governments in setting targets for SME policy development and to identify strategic priorities to further improve the business environment. It also helps to engage governments in policy dialogue and exchange good practices within the region and with OECD and EU members.
Development of innovative fuels such as homogeneous and heterogeneous fuels, ADS fuels, and oxide, metal, nitride and carbide fuels is an important stage in the implementation process of advanced nuclear systems. Several national and international R&D programmes are investigating minor actinide-bearing fuels due to their ability to help reduce the radiotoxicity of spent fuel and therefore decrease the burden on geological repositories. Minor actinides can be converted into a suitable fuel form for irradiation in reactor systems where they are transmuted into fission products with a significantly shorter half-life.
This report compares recent studies of fuels containing minor actinides for use in advanced nuclear systems. The studies review different fuels for several types of advanced reactors by examining various technical issues associated with fabrication, characterisation, irradiation performance, design and safety criteria, as well as technical maturity.
The New International Airport of Mexico City (NAICM) should position Mexico as a regional hub and improve its competitiveness. It is scheduled to be operational in 2020 in answer to the pressing need for the expansion of the city's airport capabilities. The airport, whose construction is managed by a state-owned entity (GACM), is currently the largest Mexican infrastructure project.
A project of this magnitude requires tailored strategic frameworks and actions in several policy areas. Building on international experience, this report provides a comprehensive assessment, and analysis and recommendations in four key dimensions contributing to the effective delivery of large infrastructure projects: governance, procurement, integrity and communication.
Reconhecendo a necessidade de melhores abordagens, adaptadas à aprendizagem e à prestação de contas em situações de conflito, o Comité de Ajuda ao Desenvolvimento (CAD) lançou uma iniciativa para desenvolver orientações para avaliar as atividades de prevenção de conflitos e de construção da paz. O objetivo deste processo tem sido o de ajudar a melhorar as práticas de avaliação e, assim, de apoiar a comunidade mais alargada de peritos e de organizações de implementação a melhorar a qualidade das intervenções de prevenção de conflitos e de construção da paz. Procura igualmente orientar os decisores políticos, técnicos na sede e no terreno, e os parceiros do país no sentido de alcançar uma melhor compreensão do papel e da utilidade das avaliações. As linhas de orientação apresentadas neste livro fornecem o enquadramento sobre questões políticas fundamentais que afetam o envolvimento dos doadores em contextos de conflito e de fragilidade e apresenta alguns dos desafios para a avaliação específicos nestes contextos. Em seguida, proporciona orientações detalhadas sobre os passos fundamentais no planeamento, implementação e aprendizagem a partir da avaliação, bem como alguns princípios básicos sobre a conceção e gestão de programas.
Ce rapport présente les tendances et les progrès réalisés en matière de politiques d’atténuation du changement climatique dans les 34 pays membres de l’OCDE et 10 économies partenaires (Afrique du Sud, Brésil, Chine, Colombie, Costa Rica, Fédération de Russie, Indonésie, Inde, Lettonie, Lituanie), ainsi qu’au sein de l’Union européenne. Pris dans leur ensemble, ces pays représentent plus de 80 % des émissions mondiales de gaz à effet de serre. Ce rapport couvre trois domaines : 1) les objectifs et cibles d’atténuation du changement climatique, 2) les instruments de tarification du carbone, comme les taxes sur l’énergie, les taxes carbone et les systèmes d’échange de quotas d’émission, ainsi que les réformes du soutien aux énergies fossiles, 3) les principaux dispositifs politiques nationaux dans les secteurs énergétiques et non-énergétiques (l’agriculture, la foresterie, l’industrie et les déchets).
In the past decade, many countries have designed explicit internationalisation policies for their higher education systems, acknowledging the benefits of international exposure to prepare students for a globalising economy as well as the many opportunities of cross-border mobility for innovation, improvement and capacity development in higher education and in the economy.
Cases of fraud and opportunistic behaviour have shown that these promises come with risks for students and other tertiary education stakeholders though. It is precisely to help all stakeholders to minimise these risks and strengthen the dynamics of openness, collaboration and transparency across countries that UNESCO and OECD jointly developed the Guidelines for Quality Provision in Cross-Border Higher Education.
This book monitors the extent to which tertiary education stakeholders complied with the Guidelines in 2014. It will be of interest to policy makers, leaders of tertiary education institutions and quality assurance agencies, as well as to academics and other parties interested in higher education and its internationalisation.
The new OECD Guidelines on Corporate Governance of State-Owned Enterprises provide an internationally agreed benchmark to help governments assess and improve the way they exercise their ownership functions in state-owned enterprises. Good corporate governance of state-owned enterprises is a key reform priority in many countries. Improved efficiency and better transparency in the state owned sector will result in considerable economic gains, especially in countries where state ownership is important. In addition, creating a level playing field for private and state-owned enterprises will encourage a sound and competitive business sector. The Guidelines, first adopted in 2005, provide a set of good practices on the legal and regulatory framework for state-owned enterprises (SOEs), the professionalisation of the state ownership function and the corporate governance arrangements of SOEs. This new version of the recommendation was developed in the light of almost a decade of experiences with its implementation and a number of thematic and comparative studies, developed on the basis of the earlier version of the Guidelines, that showed the need for, and supported, their revision, including in areas such as disclosure and transparency, public-private competition, board practices and funding and financing of SOE.
Les nouvelles Lignes directrices de l'OCDE sur la gouvernance des entreprises publiques constituent une référence reconnue au niveau international qui a vocation à aider les États à évaluer et améliorer leur façon d’exercer leurs fonctions d’actionnaire d’entreprises publiques. Assurer la qualité de la gouvernance des entreprises publiques est une priorité de réforme essentielle dans de nombreux pays. L’amélioration de l’efficacité et de la transparence dans le secteur des entreprises publiques procurera des avantages économiques considérables, en particulier dans les pays où le poids de l’actionnariat public est important. En outre, le fait de soumettre les entreprises privées et publiques à des règles du jeu équitables favorisera l’avènement d’un tissu économique solide et compétitif. Les Lignes directrices, adoptées pour la première fois en 2005, contiennent un ensemble de bonnes pratiques concernant le cadre juridique et réglementaire régissant les entreprises publiques, la professionnalisation de la fonction d’actionnaire de l’État et les régimes de gouvernance des entreprises publiques. La nouvelle version de la recommandation sur la gouvernance des entreprises publiques a été élaborée à la lumière de près d’une décennie d’expérience de mise en application et après un certain nombre d’études thématiques et comparatives portant sur la version précédente des Lignes directrices qui ont montré la nécessité de les revoir et éclairé le processus de révision, notamment dans des domaines comme la diffusion de l’information et la transparence, la concurrence entre les secteur public et privé, les pratiques des conseils d’administration et les sources et mécanismes de financement des entreprises publiques.
Intergovernmental fiscal institutions are the overarching framework for relations across government levels. They comprise the constitutional set up of a country; the division of power between government levels; the prevalence of fiscal rules across government levels; intergovernmental budget frameworks; the role of independent bodies such as fiscal councils in shaping fiscal relations; the inter-ministerial organisation of fiscal decision making; and other framework conditions shaping intergovernmental fiscal relations and fiscal policy. This book brings together academics and practitioners dealing with or being involved in shaping the institutions of intergovernmental fiscal relations. It has an interdisciplinary focus and provides insight from various academic or practitioners’ fields: economists, political scientists, budget management specialists and others.
Les menaces de sécurité numérique potentiellement lourdes de conséquences économiques sont récemment devenues plus nombreuses et sophistiquées, alors même que l’environnement numérique est devenu un maillon essentiel du fonctionnement de l’économie et un facteur important de croissance, de bien-être et d’inclusivité. Pour profiter pleinement des avantages liés à l’environnement numérique, les parties prenantes doivent absolument cesser d’aborder le risque de sécurité numérique sous un angle technique dissocié de considérations économiques et sociales plus larges. Il leur faut d’urgence intégrer la gestion de ce risque à leurs processus décisionnels en matière économique et sociale. Les responsables de l’action publique doivent également mesurer toute la complexité du risque de sécurité numérique dans ses multiples dimensions, de la prospérité économique et sociale aux activités de police (lutte contre la « cybercriminalité ») en passant par la défense, la sécurité nationale et la sécurité internationale.
Cette Recommandation de l'OCDE et son document d'accompagnement offrent des orientations sur ces aspects.
Die vorliegende Publikation ist die erste umfassende, auf Ebene aller EU- und OECD-Länder durchgeführte internationale Vergleichsstudie der Situation der Zuwanderer und ihrer Kinder. Sie ist das Ergebnis einer Kooperation zwischen der Europäischen Kommission (Generaldirektion Migration und Inneres) und der OECD-Abteilung Internationale Migration mit dem Ziel eines regelmäßigen Monitoring vergleichbarer Integrationsindikatoren in den EU- und OECD-Ländern. Dieser Bericht wurde mit finanzieller Unterstützung der Europäischen Union erstellt.
Australia’s health system functions remarkably well, despite operating under a complex set of institutions that make coordinating patient care difficult. Complications arising from a split in federal and state government funding and responsibilities are central to these challenges. This fragmented health care system can disrupt the continuity of patient care, lead to a duplication of services and leave gaps in care provision. Supervision of these health services by different levels of government can manifest in avoidable impediments such as the poor transfer of health information, and pose difficulties for patients navigating the health system. Adding to the Australian system’s complexity is a mix of services delivered through both the public and private sectors. To ease health system fragmentation and promote more integrated services, Australia should adopt a national approach to quality and performance through an enhanced federal government role in steering policy, funding and priority setting. The states, in turn, should take on a strengthened role as health service providers, with responsibility for primary care devolved to the states to better align it with hospital services and community care. A more strategic role for the centre should also leave room for the strategic development of health services at the regional level, encouraging innovation that is responsive to local population need, particularly in rural and remote areas.
The Missing Entrepreneurs 2015 is the third edition in a series of annual reports that provide data and policy analysis on inclusive entrepreneurship. Inclusive entrepreneurship involves business start-up and self-employment activities that contribute to social inclusion as well as to economic growth, covering entrepreneurship activities by social groups such as youth, women, seniors, immigrants and the unemployed. The report contains data on the scale and scope of entrepreneurship and self-employment activities across EU Member States by social target groups, as well as the barriers they face. The report also contains special thematic chapters on supporting growth for entrepreneurs from disadvantaged and under-represented groups, effective coaching and mentoring, and the role of public procurement in supporting inclusive entrepreneurship. Each thematic chapter discusses current policy issues and challenges, and makes recommendations for EU policy makers. The report also provides inspiring policy-practice examples from each of the 28 EU Members.
L’écart continue de se creuser entre riches et pauvres. Au cours des décennies ayant précédé la Grande récession, la croissance économique bénéficiait déjà de manière disproportionnée aux catégories à haut revenu, tandis que les ménages à bas revenu étaient laissés pour compte. Depuis la crise, les disparités se sont aggravées, et dans de nombreux pays de l’OCDE, les inégalités atteignent désormais leur plus haut niveau depuis que des données sont recueillies. Ce creusement de long terme des inégalités de revenu suscite non seulement des inquiétudes de nature sociale et politique, mais il engendre également des préoccupations d’ordre économique : les inégalités de revenu ont tendance à peser sur la croissance du PIB, sous l’effet de la distance toujours plus grande entre les 40 % les moins riches et le reste de la société. La question de savoir comment inverser cette tendance et promouvoir des opportunités pour tous figure désormais au premier rang des priorités des gouvernements dans de nombreux pays.
The precipitous fall in oil prices, continued geopolitical instability and the ongoing global climate negotiations are witness to the dynamic nature of energy markets. In a time of so much uncertainty, understanding the implications of the shifting energy landscape for economic and environmental goals and for energy security is vital. The World Energy Outlook 2015 (WEO-2015) will present updated projections for the evolution of the global energy system to 2040, based on the latest data and market developments, as well as detailed insights on the prospects for fossil fuels, renewables, the power sector and energy efficiency and analysis on trends in CO2 emissions and fossil-fuel and renewable energy subsidies.
In addition, the WEO-2015 covers in-depth analysis on several topical issues:
A lower oil price future? The decline in oil prices and changed market conditions has prompted a broad debate over how and when the oil market will re-balance. This analysis will examine the implications for markets, policies, investment, the fuel mix and emissions if oil prices stay lower for longer.
India’s energy outlook: How India’s energy sector develops over the coming decades will have profound implications both for the country’s own prospects and for the global energy system as a whole. With new impetus behind efforts to upgrade the country’s energy supply, this comprehensive, in-depth analysis will assess the multiple challenges and opportunities facing India as it develops the resources and infrastructure to meet rapidly rising energy demand.
Renewables and energy efficiency: In the run-up to COP21, the Outlook will provide a report on the competitive position of fast-growing renewable energy technologies in different markets, how this evolves and what implications this might have for policy; the analysis also tracks for the first time the coverage of energy use by efficiency policies around the world and the ways in which product design, recycling and reuse (“material efficiency”) can contribute to energy savings.
Unconventional gas: In addition to an update on the opportunities and challenges that face the development of unconventional gas globally, analysis will focus on the prospects for unconventional gas in China and how this might affect China’s energy outlook as well as regional and global balances.
Heavy liquid metals such as lead or lead-bismuth have been proposed and investigated as coolants for fast reactors since the 1950s. More recently, there has been renewed interest worldwide in the use of these materials to support the development of systems for the transmutation of radioactive waste. Heavy liquid metals are also under evaluation as a reactor core coolant and accelerator-driven system neutron spallation source. Several national and international R&D programmes are ongoing for the development of liquid lead-alloy technology and the design of liquid lead-alloy-cooled reactor systems.
In 2007, a first edition of the handbook was published to provide deeper insight into the properties and experimental results in relation to lead and lead-bismuth eutectic technology and to establish a common database. This handbook remains a reference in the field and is a valuable tool for designers and researchers with an interest in heavy liquid metals.
The 2015 edition includes updated data resulting from various national and international R&D programmes and contains new experimental data to help understand some important phenomena such as liquid metal embrittlement and turbulent heat transfer in a fuel bundle. The handbook provides an overview of liquid lead and lead-bismuth eutectic properties, materials compatibility and testing issues, key aspects of thermal-hydraulics and existing facilities, as well as perspectives for future R&D.
For most countries in the OECD, 2015 is the seventh or eighth year of dealing with the budgetary consequences of the economic and financial crisis. These years have been marked by challenges of fiscal retrenchment of a scale and nature unprecedented in modern times. Previous OECD publications have tracked the fiscal policy responses adopted by OECD governments during the early years of the crisis (2007-2012). This book takes stock of how these responses have evolved and in recent years, up to 2014/15. Two points are apparent from the outset: the response to the crisis has had repercussions for virtually every aspect of budgetary governance; and there are clear lessons for governments about the conduct of fiscal policy – including in its institutional aspects – that should inform future decisions and the agenda of budgetary reform.
Cette nouvelle édition du Panorama de la santé présente les données comparables les plus récentes sur les principaux indicateurs de la santé et des systèmes de santé des pays membres de l’OCDE. Pour un sous-groupe d’indicateurs, elle contient aussi des données se rapportant à des pays partenaires dont l'Afrique du Sud, le Brésil, la Chine, la Colombie, le Costa Rica, la Fédération de Russie, l'Inde, l'Indonésie, la Lettonie et la Lituanie. Cette édition contient deux nouveautés : une série de tableaux de bord qui résument la performance des pays de l’OCDE sur des indicateurs clés de santé et des systèmes de santé, et un chapitre spécial sur les tendances récentes des dépenses pharmaceutiques parmi les pays de l’OCDE. Cette édition contient également de nouveaux indicateurs sur la migration du personnel de santé et sur la qualité des soins de santé.
The publication provides an overview of the disaster risk assessment and financing practices of a broad range of economies relative to guidance elaborated in G20/OECD Framework for Disaster Risk Assessment and Risk Financing. The publications is based on survey responses provided by 29 economies, as well as research undertaken by the OECD and other international organisations, and provides a global overview of the approaches that economies facing various levels of disaster risk and economic development have taken to managing the financial impacts of natural and man-made catastrophes.
This report is the first OECD review of Brazil’s environmental performance. It evaluates progress towards sustainable development and a green economy, with a focus on conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity and protected areas.The OECD Environmental Performance Review Programme provides independent assessments of country progress in achieving domestic and international environmental policy commitments. The reviews are conducted to improve environmental performance, promote peer learning and enhance accountability. They are supported by a broad range of economic and environmental data, and provide policy-relevant recommendations.Each review cycle covers all OECD countries and selected partner economies. The most recent reviews include: Spain (2015), Poland (2015), Sweden (2014).