Participants will have the opportunity to discuss their own country’s economy with an OECD economist working on their country, in informal breakout sessions. Please note that this session is organised by default for all participating country MPs. No additional registration is required.

Recurring shocks and crises have contributed to reviving interest among governments for subsidies and other tools of industrial policy. Questions arise, however, in relation to what these policies mean for fair global competition in a context of growing trade tensions and increasing concentration of manufacturing activities in a few places. In this session, participants will discuss what we know of the global scope and scale of industrial subsidies and what their impacts might be on OECD countries and beyond.

Tim Gould from the IEA will provide an overview of recent trends in energy markets and investments, how these trends might evolve in the future in different scenarios, and the key implications of these trends for energy security, affordability, and sustainability. The presentation will reflect on the increasing importance of electricity in the energy system, as the world enters what the IEA is calling the Age of Electricity, the prospects for new low-emissions technologies in various sectors, the significance of the upcoming wave of Liquefied natural gas (LNG) that is coming to market, the shifting geography of energy consumption, and other developments that will have real operational consequences for energy policymakers.

OECD analysis and standards promote good governance, responsible mining, and circular economy principles to support sustainable critical mineral value chains, drawing on longstanding expertise in trade, investment, and environmental sustainability. The OECD Initiative on Critical Minerals for Sustainable Growth and Development builds on this foundation to help policy makers drive sustainable development and the energy transition.

OECD countries are operating in a challenging fiscal environment, marked by high debt levels and growing spending pressures linked to demographics, extreme weather events, defence needs and other commitments. Against this backdrop, this session will introduce the OECD’s new Fiscal Masterclass, a course designed to help elected members engage more confidently on fiscal topics in committees, in their interactions with the media and, ultimately, with their constituents.

This session is open only to MPs from OECD Accession countries. This session will brief the MPs on OECD accession processes and the role for parliaments. It will also provide an opportunity for peer-learning amongst legislators from both Accession countries and recent members of the OECD, where they will be able to exchange on experiences, lessons, and approaches.