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The Hungarian government has recently been focusing on innovation policy as part of a wider campaign to improve the business environment. This paper first underscores the importance of a good general business climate in encouraging both formal and informal R&D activity as well as ensuring Hungary benefits from the international diffusion of innovation. In examining specific innovation policies, the new National Innovation System is described and an assessment is made of the National Innovation Fund and the Innovation Contribution used to fund it. Assessment of changes in R&D tax allowances and in the strategy for giving out grants for research is also made. The paper also looks at regulatory reform to improve industry-science links, including the government’s recent legislative changes that make it easier for universities to set up spin-off companies. The final section considers what further reforms are needed to help tertiary and compulsory education become more conducive to innovation and to encourage the deepening of human capital in general.

Economics --- Hungary

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Ensuring tax and transfer systems bring sufficient revenue to reach macroeconomic fiscal targets, address societal goals in re-distribution and social welfare, recognise the influence taxation has on businesses’ competitiveness and adequately address environmental externalities is a tough challenge, arguably more so in Israel than in many other OECD countries. High interest payments and large defence spending make deficit and debt reduction more difficult, socio-economic divides remain wide and as a small-open economy Israel is highly exposed to mobile international capital and competition over international investment. And, as elsewhere, the incorporation of environmental issues into the tax system remains only partial. This review examines ways forward for policy on several fronts: indirect taxation; household income tax and social benefits; taxes on property and wealth; business taxation; and evasion, avoidance and administration issues. This Working Paper relates to the 2013 OECD Economic Review of Israel (www.oecd.org/eco/surveys/economic-survey-israel.htm).

Taxation --- Economics --- Israel

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Norwegian policy gives high priority to supporting rural communities, with support for agriculture receiving particular attention. It is broadly successful in terms of maintaining rural communities, and urban-rural gaps in a range of well-being indicators are comparatively narrow. However, the cost-efficiency and sustainability of the policy mechanisms are questionable. Agriculture and rural policy in Norway needs to focus more strongly on economic sustainability alongside social sustainability. Agricultural support remains overly concentrated on maintaining the status quo and has seen little reform compared with policies elsewhere in the OECD. In contrast, the fishing industry has reformed much further towards economic sustainability, aquaculture has seen considerable success and there is potential for more rural tourism. Supporting rural communities also requires attention to the quality of public services in rural areas, and this report draws particular attention to inefficiencies arising from small-scale municipalities, and supports efforts to encourage mergers towards larger units, paving the way for greater operational leeway for municipal government.This working paper relates to the 2016 OECD Economic Survey of Norway (www.oecd.org/eco/surveys/economic-survey-norway.htm).

Agriculture and Food --- Economics --- Norway

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Welfare-to-work measures are a central theme of Israel’s labour and social policies to tackle relative poverty, which is concentrated among the Arab-Israeli and Ultra-orthodox (Haredi) communities. Policies include pilot programmes involving private-sector job placement (the “Wisconsin” programme) and an earned-income tax credit. Also, there is increased policy attention to help parents to combine work and family through improvements to daycare and early education. Microeconomic simulations of taxes and benefits suggest room for augmenting these policies with adjustments to benefits and tax expenditures. In the labour market, hiring and firing regulations are light, while the minimum-wage is relatively high in comparison with OECD countries, but it is not strongly enforced. Poverty among pensioners is set to fall in the future with the recent introduction of mandatory second-pillar pension saving. But this reform has also raised questions about the structure of tax breaks on pensions. This Working Paper relates to the 2010 OECD Economic Survey of Israel (www.oecd.org/eco/surveys/israel)

Economics --- Israel

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Israelis enjoy higher life expectancy and have a much younger demographic profile than most OECD countries. However, the demand for health care is expanding rapidly due to population growth and ageing. Also, the country’s wide socio-economic divides are reflected in differences in health outcomes. To date the health-care system, centred on four health funds, is widely acknowledged as providing a basket of universal services, with good quality primary and secondary care, while also accommodating demand for private health care. However, there are challenges and tensions in the system. Currently the authorities are having to rapidly expand the number of places in medical schools and nurse training because large cohorts of health-care professionals are heading for retirement. More broadly, there are concerns that the core notion of a universal basket of services is being eroded by co-payments and the increasing demand for the additional services and options provided by private insurance. Although the quality of care is generally good, in hospital care there is room to improve data and concern that overcrowding may become chronic. This Working Paper relates to the 2013 OECD Economic Review of Israel (www.oecd.org/eco/surveys/economicsurvey- israel.htm).

Social Issues/Migration/Health --- Economics --- Israel