In recent years, there has been a rapid spread of economic instruments (EIs) in environmental policies of OECD Member countries. The application of EIs has gained wider political acceptability and, in a growing number of cases, they have come to have incentive rather than merely revenue-raising effects. In Sweden, eco-taxes have been introduced as part of a broad fiscal reform, while in other countries the approach is more piecemeal. Virtually without exception, EIs are employed in combination with regulations and other policy instruments.

Developing countries stand to learn from the OECD experience with EIs, but they often face unique challenges as well as opportunities in applying such instruments. Resource and other prices have historically been distorted in such economies, so correcting such distortions is a prerequisite to the effective use of EIs. Also, underdeveloped markets, public enterprises with soft budget constraints, and high rates of inflation can all undermine the ...