OECD Member Economies

Getting back on track: restoring fiscal sustainability in Ireland

08-Dec-2011

Ireland’s banking crisis, one of the most severe in the OECD area, and the associated economic recession have taken a heavy toll on public finances. Large public deficits have accumulated since 2008 and net public debt, which had been eliminated, has soared once again.

Structural reforms to reduce unemployment and restore competitiveness in Ireland

08-Dec-2011

After a recession of historic proportions, an export-led recovery is gaining traction in Ireland. The pace of recovery, however, varies sharply across sectors. While export-oriented manufacturing and services, led by large multinationals, have reached record-high levels of output, inward-oriented sectors, where Irish-owned SMEs predominate, are by and large still struggling to emerge from the crisis.

Reaping the benefits of a transition to greener growth in Slovakia

26-Nov-2011

The transition to a greener economy supported by international environmental commitments and national policies will entail structural changes in consumption patterns and industry structures, resulting in a reallocation of resources in and between countries. Slovakia will need to build an effective framework for green growth to maximise its chances of exploiting cleaner sources of growth and to seize the opportunities to develop new green industries, jobs, and technologies.

Macroeconomic and structural policies to further stabilise the Mexican economy

26-Nov-2011

Improvements in the macroeconomic policy framework over the past two decades and prudent regulation of the financial system have contributed to reduce output volatility in Mexico relative to other OECD countries. The sharp recession in 2008-09 illustrated that output volatility has nonetheless remained high.

Overcoming the banking crisis in Ireland

26-Nov-2011

Ireland is recovering from an extremely large banking crisis born of over-exuberant property lending. The government has taken a wide range of measures to tackle the crisis over the past 3 years.

Fiscal reform for a stronger fairer and cleaner Mexican economy

18-Nov-2011

With slow growth and high inequality Mexico needs investments in infrastructure, education and social policies. Mexico has increased spending in all of these areas. This was easily financed thanks to fiscal reforms in 2007 and 2009 as well as high oil prices in recent years.

Informality in Mexico

19-Oct-2011

Mexico has a relatively large informal sector by OECD standards. While this is in part a symptom of limited development and low productivity, it can also be to some extent its cause, as informal firms stay small to hide their activities and have limited access to productivity-enhancing government services, such a protection of property rights and training.

Austria: public sector inefficiencies have become less affordable

19-Oct-2011

Performance of fiscal policy, while good in international comparison, is not sufficient to prepare for future ageing-related spending increases. Subject to macroeconomic developments, the pace of consolidation could be more ambitious than currently planned, with a view to reducing the debt burden below 60% of GDP by 2020.

ICELAND: Ensuring a sustainable and efficient fishery

20-Sep-2011

Iceland has managed its large fishing industry in a sustainable and profitable way. The foundations of this success are setting Total Allowable Catches (TACs) based on scientific recommendations of what is biologically sustainable and the Individual Transferable Quota (ITQ) system, which gives each holder the right to catch a certain of the TAC in various species.

Economy: Full implementation of reforms key to success of Greek programme, says OECD report

02-Aug-2011

Greece is in deep crisis after years of fiscal laxity and weak structural reforms. To return to sustainable growth, the fiscal consolidation and product and labour market reforms underway should continue, be closely monitored and strictly implemented, with the burden of the adjustment fairly shared.