Reports

The future is digital and enabled by globally interconnected and high-quality broadband networks. However, high-quality networks across the OECD are far from universal and applications across all sectors of the economy, from smart factories and hospitals to automated vehicles, are increasing the overall demand on networks and requiring them to evolve. Furthermore, to ensure everyone can participate in in this digital future, their expansion at affordable prices to un- and under-served areas needs to continue at pace. This report explores how surging demand is shaping future networks and identifies the four main technological trends that are driving this evolution. It then takes a closer look at measuring the quality of communication services delivered through those networks to inform policy making. Finally, it provides an overview of how policies and regulations are adapting to support the upgrade and expansion of high-quality broadband networks across the OECD.

Removing unnecessary barriers to competition through targeted reforms can foster productivity and economic growth. This Regulatory Reform Review of Brazil analyses sectors that create barriers to competition, such as regulations that create obstacles to the entry of firms, inhibit the entry of firms, or restrict activities in professional and network sectors. In a complementary way, the review also identifies government efforts to develop policies and tools to improve the quality of regulations, such as ex ante assessment of draft regulations, stakeholder engagement in rule making, and administrative simplification. High-quality regulations can stimulate productivity by encouraging the efficient allocation of resources and promoting innovation. In turn, these measures can reduce prices for consumers, stimulate the creation of jobs, and help improve living standards. The review identifies areas for reform to bring the country’s regulations and institutional arrangements more in line with international best practices. It demonstrates how a proportional, clear, and efficient regulatory framework can drive improvements in Brazil’s economic performance and the welfare of its citizens.

Ageing populations and rising skill demands have heightened expectations that higher education systems will widen their offer of continuing education and training (CET) for adults aiming to renew or augment their skills at an advanced level. CET is becoming increasingly important for maintaining a highly skilled workforce also in Germany, and particularly in the state of Brandenburg. However, Brandenburg’s public higher education institutions have so far been only marginal providers. To expand their offer of CET, they would require more legal certainty about the use of public funding in light of European Union (EU) state aid policy. EU state aid policy ensures public subsidies (state aid) are not used by state agencies to crowd out markets (economic activity). There are no clear EU, federal or state-level directions about whether CET is a non-economic activity and thus exempt from EU state aid rules. This report analyses the reasons for this legal uncertainty and provides recommendations to the state government and public higher education institutions in Brandenburg about how to clarify the status of continuing education and training as a state-aided activity. It also proposes pointers for interpretation and future reform of the EU framework on state aid, and provides impulses for policy action in other German states and at the federal level.

Brandenburg’s economy is undergoing structural change, which opens exciting new prospects for highly skilled workers. The state has intensified efforts to diversify the economy towards cleaner and more knowledge-intensive industries, including the development of advanced manufacturing, spill-over effects from the start-up scene in Berlin, fostering entrepreneurial activities at its own higher education institutions, promoting innovative places for working and living, and phasing out of coal production in favour of next-generation technologies. As the engine of skills development and research, the higher education system will play an important role in helping the state unleash these opportunities. The German State of Brandenburg has therefore entrusted the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development – in close collaboration with and supported by the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Structural Reform Support – with the development of recommendations on how to enhance the visibility of its institutions’ programme offer, align this offer with the skills and innovation demand, and make it more attractive to prospective students from the state and beyond.

Data portability has become an essential tool for enhancing access to and sharing of data across digital services and platforms. This report explores to what extent data portability can empower users (natural and legal persons) to play a more active role in the re-use of their data across digital services and platforms. It also examines how data portability can help increase interoperability and data flows and thus enhance competition and innovation by reducing switching costs and lock-in effects.

Cette version abrégée est la traduction partielle de la version anglaise de la publication The Role of Firms in Wage Inequality - Policy Lessons from a Large Scale Cross-Country Study de l’OCDE. Elle contient le résumé de la publication ainsi que le chapitre 1 du rapport, qui propose une synthèse des enseignements d’une étude internationale à grande échelle sur le rôle des entreprises dans les inégalités salariales. L’enseignement principal est qu’un tiers environ de l’ensemble des inégalités salariales peut s’expliquer par des écarts de rémunération entre entreprises plutôt que par des différences de niveau et de rendement des compétences des travailleurs. Les écarts de rémunération entre entreprises traduisent des écarts en termes de productivité et de pouvoir de fixation des salaires. Pour atténuer les fortes inégalités salariales tout en favorisant une croissance forte et durable, les politiques centrées sur les travailleurs (éducation, formation des adultes, par exemple) doivent être complétées par des politiques axées sur les entreprises.