Publications

Around the OECD countries and beyond, there is a proliferation of initiatives in the life sciences to bring together disperse elements of global research and establish an effective virtual infrastructure for open innovation. Their common goal is to leverage innovative capacity by creating interconnected webs of knowledge and exploiting external expertise.
Some such initiatives have as their goal the monetisation and trading of knowledge in the form of intellectual assets. Others seek to create networks for pooling and exchange of knowledge. Together, these initiatives can be referred to as 'knowledge networks and markets' (KNMs). This report considers the development of such KNMs and examines the impact of current initiatives and the possible options for governments, working with the private sector, to improve innovation efficiency and effectiveness.
Improving the interoperability of knowledge resources is fundamental to  the creation of a necessary shared infrastructure for efficient KNM to emerge, as is related sustainable funding and policy clarity. Governments can play a vital catalytic role in improving the productivity of KNMs through such infrastructure development and encouragement of associated social networking. the report makes suggestions for some priority actions based on existing case studies.    

This report focuses on international practices of ex post evaluation, and particularly on the current efforts to conduct ex post evaluation of laws in Chile. It is divided in two main parts.The first part of the report provides information and guidance, examples of practice and references on the subject of ex post evaluation in OECD countries, particularly in the Legislative area. It looks at the different definitions of, and motivations for, undertaking evaluation. There is no single template for undertaking ex post legislative evaluation. The objectives and methods to be used will depend on factors such as the nature of the law to be evaluated and the parliamentary and governmental context in which the evaluation takes place.In the second part the report evaluates the current system and process of ex post evaluation of laws in Chile. It discusses the efforts made by the recently established Law Evaluation Department in the Chamber of Representatives, in the framework of the law making process of the country. It revises the current practices in both branches of government, executive and legislative,  to conduct ex post evaluation of laws and regulations, as well as the formal and informal mechanisms to prepare laws and regulations and their possible ex post review. The paper revises as well the current programme for law evaluation launched by the Chamber of Representatives and it analyses its main components, in particular methodological approaches and inclusion of citizens‘ perceptions as a tool to increase transparency.The report concludes with an assessment of the main challenges that the law evaluation work is facing in Chile and makes some recommendations related to institutional, methodological and governance issues.

Sweden is at the forefront among countries developing plans for a deep geological repository of highly radioactive waste. There is no such repository in operation yet worldwide, but Sweden, Finland and France are approaching the licensing stage. At the request of the Swedish government, the NEA organised an international peer review of the post-closure radiological safety case produced by the Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Company (SKB) in support of the application for a general licence to construct and operate a spent nuclear fuel geological repository in the municipality of Östhammar. The purpose of the review was to help the Swedish government, the public and relevant organisations by providing an international reference regarding the maturity of SKB’s spent fuel disposal programme vis-à-vis best practices in longterm disposal safety and radiological protection. The International Review Team (IRT) consisted of ten international specialists, who were free of conflict of interest with the SKB and brought complementary expertise to the review. This report provides the background and findings of the international peer review. The review’s findings are presented at several levels of detail in order to be accessible to both specialist and nonspecialist readers.

One of the major achievements of the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) is the knowledge it has helped to generate through the organisation of joint international research projects. Such projects, primarily in the areas of nuclear safety and radioactive waste management, enable interested countries, on a costsharing basis, to pursue research or the sharing of data with respect to particular areas or issues. Over the years, more than 30 joint projects have been conducted with wide participation of member countries.This report describes the achievements of the OECD/NEA joint projects on nuclear safety research that have been carried out over the past three decades, with a particular focus on thermal-hydraulics, fuel behaviour and severe accidents. It shows that the resolution of specific safety issues in these areas has greatly benefited from the joint projects’ activities and results. It also highlights the added value of international co-operation for maintaining unique experimental infrastructure, preserving skills and generating new knowledge.

Les préoccupations concernant la durabilité et l'efficacité de la gestion des pêches de la part du public ont donné lieu à la demande des ONG, des détaillants et les consommateurs l'assurance que les aliments qu'ils achètent a été d'une production durable. Cela a conduit à un certain nombre d'entités privées qui ont répondu à cette demande en mettant en place les éco-labels et systèmes de certification qui prétendent fournir des informations crédibles pour le consommateur. Ces étiquettes ont l'intention de servir l'intérêt des pêcheurs et les transformateurs qui ont besoin de transmettre des informations positives pour le consommateur à maintenir leurs marchés, et de servir les consommateurs en fournissant des informations disponibles ailleurs pas.Ce rapport considère la tendance croissante des besoins en information pour les produits de la mer en général, et en particulier aux caractéristiques de durabilité des pêches de capture distinctes sauvages et de l'aquaculture. Ce travail se réfère principalement aux systèmes de certification privés axés sur qui sont devenus une caractéristique ancrée sur le marché pour les éco-labels dans les pêcheries et l'aquaculture. Le rapport met l'accent sur ​​l'éco-étiquetage privé et analyse les aspects économiques des systèmes de certification, discute des principaux enjeux à l'interface entre les pouvoirs publics, les systèmes d'étiquetage privés, les exploitants et les consommateurs. Enfin, les principales conclusions et les messages aux décideurs sont adressées.

Ce document d’orientation décrit un certain nombre des mesures à prendre en compte dans le cadre de toute action de renforcement des capacités visant à intégrer les enjeux environnementaux dans les plans nationaux de développement, les cycles budgétaires nationaux et les principales stratégies économiques sectorielles. Il passe en revue les acteurs clés à associer aux processus décisionnels, détermine dans les grandes lignes les éventuels besoins en capacités et propose des solutions pour les satisfaire. Ce document a pour objet de soutenir les pays en développement dans leur effort pour écologiser leur trajectoire de développement. Il a également vocation à aider les organismes chargés de la coopération pour le développement et de l’environnement dans l’action qu’ils mènent pour appuyer ce processus.

A central safety function of radioactive waste disposal repositories is the prevention or sufficient retardation of radionuclide migration to the biosphere. Performance assessment exercises in various countries, and for a range of disposal scenarios, have demonstrated that one of the most important processes providing this safety function is the sorption of radionuclides along potential migration paths beyond the engineered barriers. Thermodynamic sorption models (TSMs) are key for improving confidence in assumptions made about such radionuclide sorption when preparing a repository's safety case. This report presents guidelines for TSM development as well as their application in repository performance assessments. They will be of particular interest to the sorption modelling community and radionuclide migration modellers in developing safety cases for radioactive waste disposal.

À partir de l’expérience acquise dans les pays de l’OCDE, le présent rapport met en évidence des formes d’intervention propices à une agriculture durable et résiliente dans l’optique du changement climatique. Les recherches montrent que des facteurs comportementaux influent sur l’efficacité des incitations, en allant dans le sens ou à l’encontre de l’action publique. Aussi faut-il prendre en compte le comportement des agriculteurs pour que les politiques soient à la fois plus efficaces pour l’environnement et plus rentables. En général, les instruments employés sont loin d’avoir les retombées environnementales escomptées, pour des raisons institutionnelles, culturelles, sociales et politiques. Les mesures incitatives, l’éducation et l’information, ainsi que la cohérence et la compatibilité avec les pratiques locales traditionnelles, entrent toutes en jeu dans les résultats enregistrés.

This report compares urbanisation trends in OECD countries on the basis of a newly defined OECD methodology which enables cross-country comparison of the socio-econimic and environmental performance of metropolitan areas in OECD countries. The methodology is presented and results from its application to 27 OECD countries are discussed together with policy implication both on national growth and governance of cities. The report also includes three original papers that present the urbanisation dynamics and prospects in China and South Africa and the governance challenges resulting from the new policy agenda on cities in the United Kingdom.

Drawing on the OECD’s expertise in comparing country experiences and identifying best practices, the Better Policies series tailors the OECD’s policy advice to the specific and timely priorities of member and partner countries, focusing on how governments can make reform happen.