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The papers in this special issue of the STI Review examine theoretically and empirically the role of innovation and technology diffusion in the process of economic growth and the impact of technology on jobs using different methodologies and data sets.

Since the Rio Earth Summit in 1992, sustainability has emerged as an over-arching policy goal in the OECD Secretariat and in its Member countries. Real progress depends upon the integration of environmental and social goals with economic ones. This publication provides an overview and analysis of trends and identifies policy gaps and trade-offs that have been encountered and points to future options. The authors document positive trends which have emerged signalling greater sustainability, as well as areas where progress has proved more elusive. While the main focus is the OECD region, expanding linkages -- among all countries and regions -- form an important part of the story. The coverage of the volume reflects the OECD's diverse subject matter expertise, and some of the interdisciplinary synergies that the Organisation can generate. Part I of this two-part volume concentrates on socio-economic issues, including the integration of economics and environment; trade and environment; changing consumption and production patterns; assessing environmental performance; development co-operation; and the evolution of aid agencies since Rio. Part II takes an in-depth look at nine sectoral issues: energy; transport; agriculture; toxic chemicals; climate change; nuclear energy; urbanisation; biotechnology; and education. In short, this publication gives essential keys to meet the major challengeof the 21st century: helping to make sustainability a reality.

This annual publication sets out the main statistical data concerning the transport sector in the Member countries of the European Conference of Ministers of Transport (ECMT). For the first time, the reader will find data on the Czech Republic, the Slovak Republic and Moldova. The Czech and Slovak Republics joined the ECMT in 1993 whereas Moldova has been a Member since 1994. Tables cover such topics as investment, infrastructure, rolling stock, human resources, traffic and energy consumption for the different modes of transport.

Strategic environmental assessment is emerging as a tool for integrated decision-making on major transport infrastructure investments and in the planning and policy making process more generally. The discipline is a new one, and by reviewing experience around the world, this report contributes to the development of effective procedures for incorporating adequate environmental assessments in all strategic transport sector decisions.

Despite the regional and international discipline which has been established, industrial subsidies continue to play an important role in the policy mix of OECD governments. In an era of budgetary constraints and globalisation, their reduction and phasing-out remains a policy challenge in almost all OECD countries.

This special issue of the STI Review presents, from the perspective of national governments, the Commission of the European Communities, the WTO and the OECD, the policy approaches adopted to limit the trade-distorting potential of subsidies and to tackle public spending on industrial support programmes in the light of budget consolidation.

The OECD Nuclear Energy Agency co-operates with both the central and eastern European countries and the New Independent States of the former Soviet Union in planning and executing safety research programmes. The purpose is to build up know-how and capabilities in safety technology pertaining to their nuclear power plants. In this report, senior safety experts from Russia and Western countries review the nuclear-safety research needed to improve the safety of Russian-designed nuclear power reactors. They have selected a number of important research topics to which priority should be given. They have also identified nuclear-safety research topics that would benefit from a collaborative effort between eastern and western nuclear-safety researchers.

Particle accelerators have evolved over the last 50 years from simple devices to powerful machines, and will continue to have an important impact on research, technology and lifestyle. Today, they cover a wide range of applications, from television and computer displays in households to the investigation of the origin and structure of matter. It has become common practice to use them for material science and medical applications.
In recent years, requirements from new technological and research applications have emerged, giving rise to new radiation shielding aspects and problems. These proceedings review recent progress in radiation shielding of accelerator facilities, evaluate advancements and discuss further developments needed with respect to international co-operation in this field.

This book records the trends in road accident statistics for the period 1993 and 1994 in ECMT Member countries, five associate Member countries (Australia, Canada, Japan, the Russian Federation and the United States) and one observer country (Morocco). It provides data on the trends from 1980 to 1994 in these countries, individually and as a whole, in numbers of motor vehicles, accidents causing casualties, and in numbers killed and casualties (killed and injured). It also highlights a number of factors to be taken into account in any analysis of road accidents and provides a dynamic assessment of the reality on our roads.

Pressure on the quantity and quality of water from agriculture is a concern in many OECD countries. But the use of water in agriculture is essential to meet growing demands for food, and also provides environmental and social benefits. Key questions for policy makers are how to ensure the sustainable management of water resources in agriculture through coherent policies in the areas of agriculture, water and the environment.
The Athens Workshop helped to illustrate what needs to be done to manage water sustainably in agriculture, in particular through reviewing the experiences in OECD countries. The main conclusions are: continuing the reform of agricultural policies; improving the transparency of water management policies; enhancing water pricing mechanisms; ensuring that all stakeholders are involved in policy formulation; and undertaking cost-benefit analysis in the design of water projects, taking into account environmental considerations.

Technological change has enormous potential: it can help improve economy-wide productivity and stimulate growth and job creation. To fulfil this potential, governments need to make technology and innovation policies an integral part of overall economic policy, while intensifying their search for "best practices". This issue of the STI Review deals with these questions. It discusses "market" and "systemic" failure approaches and examines how economic theory can provide guidance in the quest for best practices. It presents a significant range of emerging policy adjustments in certain countries (Canada, the United States, Finland) and organisations and gives a resolutely new insight into technology and innovation policy.

As economic globalisation runs its seemingly relentless course, the demands on OECD economies' flexibility are set to increase still further in the years to come. What kind of society will be able to cope with these pressures? How much and what kinds of adaptability will be required of individuals, institutions and enterprises? What forces will hold OECD societies together in an environment shaped by intense international competition and fast-moving technological change? This publication looks into the prospects for societal cohesion in tomorrow's world. It assesses the long-run implications of continuing with the current set of policies, and examines ideas that may help societies strike a sustainable balance between economic flexibility and a cohesive social fabric.

This special issue of the STI Review focuses on Public-Private Partnerships in Science and Technology.

This joint OECD-Eurostat publication provides statistical data on international trade in services for the twenty-nine OECD Member countries as well as definitions and methodological notes. The data are supplied and published according to the IMF Fifth Manual of the Balance of Payments and the OECD-Eurostat Classification of Trade in Services, which is totally consistent with the balance of payments classification but is more detailed. This book includes summary tables by country and by service category and zone totals for the EU15, EU12, EUR11 and the OECD which are comparable. Tables for individual countries showing data for detailed service categories are also provided. Time series cover the period 1987-1996 as far as data are available.

The Seminar, held in Paris in December 1998, was a forum for discussion, in a broad sense, gathering together people from international scientific circles and people responsible for the preparation of political decisions. Bringing together delegates from more than 30 European countries, it was the occasion to discuss the following four recurring topics: working conditions: effects of foreseen modifications of working time on both the security and health of drivers; access to, and future of, the profession; the economic stakes: business competitivity, subcontracting, competition not only between enterprises but also between countries; and the role and limits of public authorities.