The Møre and Romsdal County (Norway), characterised by its nature and protected forest, is starting its circular transition. The Regional Strategic Plan 2020-2024 has set ambitious goals towards greener development, with innovation and environment policies aiming to unlock the potential of the circular economy in industry and in the marine, shipping and maritime sectors. However, the lack of a long-term strategic vision for the transition at the county level hinders systemic action across sectors and makes it difficult to monitor progress. This scan provides an analysis of the current state of play and suggests ways forward to accelerate the transition towards a circular economy based on the OECD 3Ps framework: People and firms, Policies and Places.

The city of Berlin (Germany) embarked on its circular economy transition in 2020 with the adoption of the Waste Management Concept 2020-2030, aimed at implementing measures to reduce household, water and construction waste. To advance this transition, Berlin established the Coordination Office for Circular Economy, Energy Efficiency and Climate Protection in Business (KEK) in 2022 and the Zero Waste Agency in 2023, and it commissioned a study to analyse the circular economy’s potential in the industrial sector. Despite these efforts, the circular economy in Berlin is still often perceived only through the lens of sustainable waste management. This scan looks at challenges holding back progress on the circular economy, including governance awareness gaps and policy coherence, and provides recommendations to accelerate the transition, based on the OECD 3Ps framework: People and firms, Policies and Places.

Government Venture Capital (GovVC) has emerged as a policy tool to complement private venture capital (Private VC) by funding innovation-driven firms that might not attract traditional VC investment. This study analyses GovVC's role in OECD Member countries using comprehensive data on entrepreneurial firms, investors, and patents, with GovVC entities identified through surveys of ministry experts. The analysis shows that GovVC-funded firms are typically riskier than Private VC funded ones and generally demonstrate lower performance in securing follow-on funding and innovation output. However, when GovVCs partner with Private VC investors, these performance gaps diminish significantly. In co-investment scenarios, firms show comparable innovation and exit performance to those funded solely by Private VC. The findings indicate that GovVC can effectively direct capital to overlooked firms, particularly when working in partnership with private investors.

When families and early childhood education and care (ECEC) staff interact effectively, children can experience improved socio-cognitive outcomes. Family engagement in ECEC can take various forms, including communication about children’s participation in activities, exchanges about how parents can support their children’s development at home, and parental involvement in ECEC centres’ decision-making and operations. Combining different types of family engagement could help ECEC centres to build a more positive relationship with families. However, in some countries, it is not always the norm for ECEC centres to implement multi-faceted family engagement practices. Furthermore, some family engagement practices are more commonly established in centres serving more children from disadvantaged homes in certain countries, but there is no clear pattern suggesting that there are systematic efforts to strengthen relationships between ECEC centres and families in situations of disadvantage. Care needs to be taken to ensure that vulnerable families are effectively engaged in ECEC, or efforts to improve parental engagement could end up benefitting certain families only.

The increasing need in certain jurisdictions to engage in a “more economic” or an “effects-based” approach to establish competition law violations have raised the question of whether the standard of proof and the related evidentiary standard are set to a level which make it excessively difficult for competition authorities to prove their cases. But what has led to this widespread perception? Is there something that could or should be done? While this paper does not seek to provide definitive answers or recommend specific actions, it does provide an overview of the current policy landscape and an analysis of the evidentiary elements for decision makers . This paper also presents a practical perspective of the standard and burden of proof that could be useful for competition authorities in building their cases.

Structural presumptions in antitrust law refer to the concept that certain market structures, including high market shares and concentration, may presumptively harm competition and consumers. Once established by competition authorities or courts, the burden of proof typically shifts to the firms which need to rebut these presumptions. The use of structural presumption in antitrust enforcement continues to animate debates among competition authorities, academics and practitioners, reflecting different views on their relevance, application and accuracy when assessing potential anticompetitive practices. This paper explores how the use of structural presumptions may enable competition authorities to simplify complex issues related to market analysis and accelerate the competitive process, while maintaining the required degree of legal certainty to achieve the desired outcome. These mechanisms can ultimately make competition enforcement more predictable, transparent and efficient. Yet their use may also increase potential error costs, requiring competition authorities to consider trade-offs between different enforcement strategies (e.g. certainty, administrability and efficiency in decision-making versus accuracy). This paper also analyses the balancing of structural presumptions against detailed economic analysis which can be crucial to ensure fair and effective antitrust enforcement.

This paper provides an analysis of the Portuguese government’s practices to ensure the institutionalisation, quality and impact of policy evaluations. The paper takes a holistic approach that not only looks at individual practices, but also at how these come together to make evaluation an integral part of the policy cycle. Public policy evaluation promotes evidence-informed decision-making and ensures that policies improve outcomes by bringing an understanding of what works, why, for whom, and under what circumstances. Evaluation is also a core tool of sound public financial management, as it helps governments spend better and promotes accountability and transparency in spending. This paper proposes concrete policy recommendations for improving the Portuguese government’s policy evaluation system.

Competition authorities rarely consider democracy in their day-to-day functioning, yet the notion that competition is important for the maintenance of a healthy democracy was a core part of the motivation for introducing antitrust laws in some jurisdictions. This paper explores the link between competition and democracy and the potential for reduced competition to allow firms to acquire economic power. When economic power grows large, firms may be able, through mechanisms such as lobbying or political donations, to convert it into political power, allowing them to influence and affect political outcomes independent of democratic will. However, the link between competition and economic power is complex and further research is warranted. Furthermore, the paper identifies several approaches to the role of democracy within competition law, arguing irrespective of any changes in policy, increased competition benefits democracy and provides another reason for robust and resourced competition policy to champion and preserve competition.

Este relatório apresenta uma exploração aprofundada das cinco principais tendências na inovação do sector público, centrando-se no seu potencial para melhorar a inclusão social na Ibero-América. À medida que os governos da região enfrentam desafios sistémicos - incluindo desigualdades sociais persistentes e vulnerabilidades exacerbadas por crises como a pandemia (COVID-19) - a necessidade de soluções inovadoras é urgente. Este estudo, realizado conjuntamente pela OCDE e pela SEGIB, identifica as principais tendências que reflectem o compromisso dos governos em adotar a inovação pública para promover a inclusão social e melhorar a qualidade dos serviços públicos. Estas tendências incluem (1) a expansão da cobertura dos serviços públicos através da digitalização, (2) o reforço da participação dos cidadãos na tomada de decisões sobre políticas públicas, (3) a melhoria das competências dos funcionários públicos para o desenho de serviços centrados nas pessoas, (4) a promoção de um acesso mais transparente e eficiente à informação pública, e (5) o reforço da colaboração interinstitucional para melhorar a capacidade de resposta das políticas públicas.

This policy paper presents an in-depth exploration of five key trends in public sector innovation, with a focus on their potential to enhance social inclusion across Ibero-America. As governments in the region grapple with systemic challenges – including persistent social inequalities and vulnerabilities exacerbated by crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic – the need for innovative solutions is urgent. This study, jointly conducted by the OECD and SEGIB, identifies major trends that reflect governments' commitment to adopting innovation to promote social inclusion and improve the quality of public services. These trends include (1) expanding public service coverage through digitalisation, (2) strengthening citizen participation in public policy decision making, (3) improving the skills of public servants for people-centred service design, (4) promoting more transparent and efficient access to public information, and (5) enhancing inter-institutional collaboration to enhance policy responsiveness.

Este informe presenta una exploración de las cinco principales tendencias en la innovación del sector público en Iberoamérica, centrándose en su potencial para mejorar la inclusión social. A medida que los gobiernos de la región se enfrentan a retos sistémicos - incluyendo desigualdades sociales persistentes y vulnerabilidades exacerbadas por crisis como la pandemia COVID-19 - la necesidad de soluciones innovadoras es urgente. Este estudio, realizado conjuntamente por la OCDE y la SEGIB, identifica las principales tendencias que reflejan el compromiso de los gobiernos de apalancar la innovación pública para promover la inclusión social y mejorar los servicios públicos. Estas tendencias incluyen (1) la ampliación de la cobertura de los servicios públicos a través de la digitalización, (2) el fortalecimiento de la participación ciudadana en la toma de decisiones de política pública, (3) la mejora de las competencias de los funcionarios públicos para el diseño de servicios centrados en las personas, (4) la promoción de un acceso más transparente y eficiente a la información pública, y (5) el fortalecimiento de la colaboración interinstitucional para mejorar la capacidad de respuesta de las políticas públicas.

Total support to the agricultural sector across the 54 countries covered by this report averaged USD 842 billion per year during 2021-23. Many of the countries covered by the OECD Agricultural Policy Monitoring and Evaluation report provide support to their sectors, using policies that include market price support (tariffs and other border measures, MPS) that changes the price farmers receive for their products, or via various forms of budgetary transfers, such as output or input subsidies, payments for environmental services, or general services such as infrastructure development.

Le soutien total au secteur agricole dans les 54 pays couverts par le rapport s’est élevé à 842 milliards USD par an en moyenne sur la période 2021-23. Parmi les pays couverts dans le rapport Politiques agricoles : suivi et évaluation, beaucoup soutiennent leur secteur agricole au travers de mesures comprenant le soutien des prix du marché (via des droits de douane et d’autres mesures à la frontière), qui modifie les prix perçus par les agriculteurs, ainsi que diverses formes de transferts budgétaires, dont les subventions au titre de la production ou des intrants, les paiements pour services environnementaux ou la fourniture de services d’intérêt général comme la mise en place d’infrastructures.

Digital technologies are reshaping our lives, with significant impacts on personal and societal well-being. As these technologies are increasingly integrated into everyday life, it is crucial to raise awareness on their positive and negative impacts which are reviewed in this paper. While innovations like AI in healthcare and assistive devices empower individuals and improve access, they also introduce risks such as mental health challenges, misinformation, and privacy breaches. Raising awareness around digital risks helps individuals make smarter, safer decisions. At the same time, empowerment is about more than just awareness; it involves giving users control over their digital experiences, equipping them with the skills to harness technology for education, employment, and personal growth. Ultimately, responsible digital use is essential for safeguarding data privacy, supporting democratic values and respecting ethical standards. While digital technologies have the power to level the playing field, they can deepen existing inequalities if access and skills are unevenly distributed. Bridging digital divides through tailored inclusive solutions is equally important. Understanding the relationship between technology use and well-being is therefore key, but further research is needed to fully grasp these dynamics.

La pandémie de la COVID-19, la crise du coût de la vie et les risques et conflits géopolitiques émergents ont considérablement perturbé les économies et affecté la vie des gens. Comment va la vie ? 2024 – Bien-être et résilience en temps de crise, la 6e édition de la série de rapports Comment va la vie ?, fournit une boussole pour comprendre dans quelle mesure les gouvernements de l'OCDE font face à ces défis interconnectés. Elle présente les dernières données tirées de plus de 80 indicateurs du cadre de mesure du bien-être de l'OCDE et évalue les résultats sociaux, économiques et environnementaux qui comptent le plus dans la vie des gens. Elle identifie les défis actuels en matière de société, d'inclusion et de durabilité, et met en évidence les domaines politiques clés et les risques émergents qui nécessitent une attention particulière. Cette synthèse résume les principales conclusions de Comment va la vie ? 2024.

The COVID-19 pandemic, cost-of-living crisis and emerging geopolitical risks and conflicts have significantly disrupted economies and impacted people's lives. How’s Life? 2024 - Well-being and Resilience in Times of Crisis, the 6th edition of the How's Life? report series, provides a compass to understand how well OECD governments are navigating these interconnected challenges. It presents the latest insights from over 80 indicators in the OECD Well-being Framework and assesses the social, economic, and environmental outcomes that matter most to people’s lives. It identifies current social, inclusion and sustainability challenges, and highlights key policy areas and emerging risks needing further attention. The main findings of How's Life? 2024 are summarised in this policy insights.

In 2023, the German-speaking Community of Belgium laid out an ambitious vision for its education system, designed to guide policy development until 2040 (“Bildungsvision 2040 – Meine Bildung. Meine Zukunft!”). This policy perspective draws on research evidence and the experience of international education systems to support the German-speaking Community in translating this vision into an actionable strategy and implementation plan. It focuses on two of the vision’s central priorities: Strengthening students’ foundational skills alongside “21st century skills” and promoting effective pedagogical practices in schools. The document has four sections: 1) A description of the German-speaking Community’s education system and ongoing reforms; 2) Students’ core foundations and competencies in the German-speaking Community; 3) A review of evidence on the design and successful implementation of 21st century curricula; and 4) Policies to promote effective classroom practices in a context of pedagogical autonomy.

The share of migrants in the total population in OECD countries has gradually risen to 11% in 2022. However, not all places experience migration to the same extent. Migration is significantly shaped by geography, and migrant shares can vary significantly across cities and regions within countries. The lack of geographically detailed data has made it difficult to fully understand how migrants settle within countries. The new OECD Municipal Migration Database (MMD) aims to fill this gap by gathering and organising detailed data for 22 OECD countries from 1991 to 2022. In addition to collecting information at the municipal level, the database also harmonises this information according to OECD regional typologies and functional urban areas (FUAs), enabling cross-country comparisons of the presence of migrants in consistently defined regional units or local labour markets. Key findings from the data reveal a notable concentration of migrants in large metropolitan regions, where approximately six out of ten migrants reside, compared to only five out of ten native-borns. Moreover, settlement patterns differ between cities in and outside of Europe, as well as between migrants from the European Union (EU) and non-EU countries in Western Europe, showcasing distinct migration dynamics.

Prepared under the auspices of the Inclusive Forum on Carbon Mitigation Approaches (IFCMA), this report presents an overview of the main approaches to, and challenges faced when, calculating product-level carbon intensity metrics, including those applicable to collecting and verifying information along the supply chain. It provides insights on how to minimise duplication among various initiatives, minimise compliance and reporting costs for firms, and avoid possible disruptions to trade.