Publications

In 2003, the Asian Roundtable on Corporate Governance produced recommendations to improve corporate governance in Asia, based on the OECD Principles of Corporate Governance. This report summarises the results of a stocktaking exercise to determine progress made to date and the challenges remaining in the implementation of these recommendations. Included in this book are valuable insights into corporate governance rules and practices of listed companies in Asia, notably: shareholder rights, the protection of non-controlling owners, transparency and disclosure, as well as the role of company boards.

The International Energy Agency's comprehensive 2011 review Poland's energy policies and programmes.  The review finds that Poland has made commendable efforts to develop a solid energy policy framework over the last years. As energy security is a high policy priority, the country is enhancing gas supply security by building an LNG terminal, expanding underground storage capacity and increasing domestic gas production. Polish plans for developing electricity and gas cross-border links will also contribute to regional security of supply. In addition, the government has announced an ambitious nuclear programme by 2030, envisaging the first unit to enter operation by 2022. Other achievements include energy intensity improvements, an increased share of renewables and a stronger focus on energy research and development (R&D). Despite these positive developments, there is room for improving Polandfs energy strategy. First, a more integrated energy and climate policy is needed to put Poland firmly on a low-carbon path while enhancing energy security. Second, energy policy could put more emphasis on promoting competition to make the energy markets more efficient. Decarbonising Polandfs power sector will be a particularly significant challenge requiring huge investments. Coal accounts for 55% of Polish primary energy supply and 92% of electricity generation, raising significant climate change and environmental challenges. To this end, Polandfs efforts to improve energy efficiency and to diversify the countryfs energy mix are praiseworthy and should be pursued. The governmentfs attention to R&D on clean coal technologies, including carbon capture and storage (CCS) is also encouraging. The government could put more focus on the positive role that gas can play in decarbonising the electricity mix, especially if Polandfs potential resources of unconventional gas are confirmed. To tap these resources, it will be vital to put the necessary legal and regulatory framework in place. This in-depth review analyses the energy challenges facing Poland and provides sectoral critiques and recommendations for further policy improvements. It is intended to help guide the country towards a more secure and sustainable energy future.

Avec la construction de centrales nucléaires dans plusieurs pays et des projets de construction additionnels pour répondre à la demande croissante d’électricité, les ressources en uranium, sa production et la demande y afférentes suscitent toujours un intérêt notable. Au vu de l’augmentation projetée de la demande d’uranium et de la diminution des stocks, l’industrie de l’uranium, premier maillon critique dans la chaîne d'approvisionnement en combustible pour les réacteurs nucléaires, accroît sa production, et des projets de capacités supplémentaires sont prévus dans un futur proche. Cependant, des conditions de marché fortes seront nécessaires pour déclencher les investissements requis pour satisfaire la demande projetée.Le « Livre rouge », préparé conjointement par l’Agence de l’OCDE pour l'énergie nucléaire et l’Agence internationale de l’énergie atomique, est un ouvrage de référence de notoriété mondiale. Il se fonde sur des données officielles communiquées par 40 pays, dont les principaux producteurs et consommateurs d’uranium. Cette 23e édition présente les résultats d’un examen approfondi de l’offre et de la demande mondiale d’uranium au 1er janvier 2009, ainsi que des données sur l’exploration mondiale de l’uranium, les ressources, la production et les besoins des réacteurs. Elle est enrichie de nombreuses informations nouvelles en provenance de tous les grands centres de production au niveau mondial, ainsi que des pays développant de tels centres pour la première fois. Des projections de la capacité de production nucléaire et les besoins en uranium des centrales jusqu’en 2035 sont également présentées ainsi qu'une analyse des questions relatives à l'offre et à la demande d'uranium à long terme.

La biodiversité et les services écosystémiques ont des retombées positives directes pour la collectivité, comme l’approvisionnement en nourriture, la purification de l'eau, la disponibilité de ressources génétiques ou la régulation du climat. Ces services assurent ainsi des fonctions essentielles au maintien de la vie et contribuent à la santé humaine, au bien-être et à la croissance économique. Pourtant, la biodiversité est en recul partout dans le monde et, dans certains domaines, cette perte s'accélère. Le besoin de politiques qui favorisent la conservation et l'utilisation durable de la biodiversité et des services écosystémiques est plus important que jamais. Les Paiements pour services écosystémiques (PSE) sont un mécanisme direct et souple à base d'incitations par lequel l'utilisateur ou le bénéficiaire d'un service écosystémique effectue un paiement direct à un individu ou une communauté dont les décisions en matière d’occupation des sols ont un impact sur la fourniture de services écosystémiques. L'intérêt porté aux PSE s’est rapidement accru au cours de la dernière décennie : les PSE se multiplient à travers le monde et on dénombre déjà plus de 300 programmes en place aux échelons national, régional et local. S’appuyant sur les travaux déjà publiés concernant des programmes de PSE efficaces et sur plus de trente études de cas de pays développés et en développement, cet ouvrage s’attache à mettre en lumière les bonnes pratiques dans la conception et la mise en œuvre de ce type de programmes, en vue de les rendre plus performants sur le plan environnemental et en termes de coût-efficacité. Les questions suivantes y sont ainsi abordées : 

• Pourquoi les PSE sont-ils utiles et comment fonctionnent-ils ?
• Comment peut-on optimiser leur efficacité environnementale et maximiser leur efficience économique ?
• Quelles sont les différentes sources potentielles de financement des programmes PSE, et comment peut-on les mobiliser ?
• Quels sont les enseignements tirés des programmes PSE existants et les connaissances pouvant être mises à profit pour les programmes futurs, notamment les PSE internationaux ?

Much has been done over the years to improve fisheries management in OECD countries. Ongoing problems of over-fishing, overcapacity and the economic crisis intensify the need for reform. Although there is a general consensus on the importance of a successful fisheries management, the effort levels and effectiveness of policy reforms have differed among OECD countries. This study examines the factors that facilitate reform, as well as the difficulties countries face in the process of reform. It provides an overview of domestic reform experiences in Norway, Mexico, Iceland, New Zealand and Korea. 

The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is an important policy for the European Union and accounts for about 40% of the EU budget. Ever since its inception in 1958, the CAP has been regularly reviewed and adjusted to improve its performance and adapt to changing circumstances. At a time when the post-2013 future of the CAP is being discussed and major challenges such as food security and climate change lay ahead, it is important to review the impact of past reforms and to draw lessons for the design of future policies. While the studies in these proceedings often take account of national and international market effects of agricultural policies, they tend to focus on the impact of policies on farms and at the regional and local levels. Today, the European Union is composed of very diverse regions that are affected very differently by any given farm policy, depending on the structural characteristics of the farms’ and regions’ economies. This report collects papers presented at the OECD Workshop on Disaggregated Impacts of CAP Reforms, held in Paris in March 2010, which focused on recent reforms. In particular, it examined the implementation of the single payment scheme since 2005 and the transfer of funds between different measures. Special attention was also paid to reforms of the sugar and dairy sectors with respect to the quota system and the restructuring of both these industries. The papers also look at the impact of the new direct payment system on land use, production and income.

Climate change is becoming more evident and, as it increases, will alter the productivity of fisheries and the distribution of fish stocks. From an economic point of view, the changes will have impacts on fisheries and coastal communities in different ways. These expected changes require adaptable and flexible fisheries and aquaculture management policies and governance frameworks. However, the forms of future climate change and the extent of its impact remain uncertain. Fisheries policy makers therefore need to develop strategies and decision-making models in order to adapt to climate change under such uncertainty while taking into account social and economic consequences. While most work on climate change in the fisheries sector has focused on fisheries science, this book highlights the economic and policy aspects of adapting fisheries to climate change. An outcome of the OECD Workshop on the Economics of Adapting Fisheries to Climate Change, held in June 2010, the book outlines the actions that fisheries policy makers must undertake in the face of climate change. These include: strengthening the global governance system; a broader use of rights-based management systems; ecosystem protection; industry transformation through the ending of environmental harmful subsidies and a focus on demand for sustainably caught seafood; and, in particular, using aquaculture as a key part of the response to climate change.

Ce rapport retrace l’expérience du lobbying en Australie, au Canada, aux États-Unis, en Hongrie, en Pologne et au Royaume-Uni où les réglementations gouvernementales sont conçues pour intensifier la vigilance minutieuse du lobbying et de ses acteurs.

This brochure is published within the framework of  the Scheme for the Application of International Standards for Fruit and Vegetables established by OECD in 1962. It comprises explanatory notes and illustrations to facilitate the common interpretation of the apples standard in force. This updated brochure illustrates the revised standard text (2009), new marketing practices and development in production. It illustrates the quality parameters on high quality photographs. The brochure also includes a USB key with the electronic version of the publication.Thus it is a valuable tool for  inspection authorities, professional bodies and traders interested in the international trade in apples.

Particle accelerators have evolved over the last decades from simple devices to powerful machines, and are having an increasingly important impact on research, technology and daily life. Today they cover a wide range of applications including material science and medical applications. In recent years, requirements from new technological and research applications have emerged while the number of accelerator facilities in operation, being commissioned, designed or planned has significantly grown. Their parameters (such as the beam energy, beam currents and intensities, and target composition) vary widely, giving rise to new radiation shielding aspects and problems. Particle accelerators must be operated in safe ways to protect operators, the public and the environment. As the design and use of these facilities evolve, so must the analytical methods used in the safety analyses. These workshop proceedings review the state of the art in radiation shielding of accelerator facilities and irradiation targets. They also evaluate progress on the development of modelling methods used to assess the effectiveness of such shielding as part of safety analyses.