The 2023 EITI Standard
The 2023 EITI Standard is the global benchmark for the transparent and accountable governance of oil, gas, and mineral resources. It provides a comprehensive framework to ensure that a country’s natural resource wealth benefits all its citizens through open data, multi-stakeholder oversight, and public debate.
The Standard is structured into three main parts:
Part 1: Principles and Requirements
Establishes the core disclosure requirements across the extractive value chain:
Oversight & Governance: Mandates effective oversight by a Multi-Stakeholder Group (MSG) representing government, industry, and civil society.
Legal & Contract Transparency: Requires full public disclosure of extractive contracts and licenses granted or amended from January 1, 2021, along with legal regimes and fiscal arrangements.
Beneficial Ownership: Demands identification of the ultimate natural persons who own or control extractive companies, including mandatory disclosure of Politically Exposed Persons (PEPs).
Revenue Collection & Management: Ensures detailed disclosure of taxes, revenues, state-owned enterprise (SOE) transactions, subnational transfers, and project-level payments.
Emerging Priorities: Integrates vital disclosures on energy transition plans, greenhouse gas emissions, carbon pricing, environmental/social impacts, and anti-corruption policies.
Part 2: Board Oversight and Validation
Defines the quality assurance mechanism used by the International EITI Board to evaluate implementing countries:
Timeliness: Mandates annual data publication within 18 months of candidate status.
Validation & Scoring: Evaluates country performance on a 0–100 point scale across Stakeholder Engagement, Transparency, and Outcomes/Impact.
Accountability: Establishes clear corrective action deadlines, where failure to progress leads to temporary suspension or delisting.
Part 3: Governance and Management
Outlines the institutional rules, ethical codes, and operational standards of the global EITI Association:
Structure: Governed by the Members' Meeting, a balanced 21-member Board, and the International Secretariat.
Open Data & Ethics: Sets strict codes of conduct for officials and mandates open-license, machine-readable data disclosures (at source) as the default expectation.
Part 1: Principles and requirements of the 2023 EITI Standard, which is organized into seven main sections:
SECTION 1: EITI Principles (12 core principles established in 2003)
SECTION 2: Becoming an EITI Implementing Country (Sign-up steps and application process)
SECTION 3: EITI Requirements (7 core requirements for implementing countries and companies)
SECTION 4: Expectations for EITI Supporting Companies (9 expectations for supporting oil, gas, and mining companies)
SECTION 5: Protocol: Participation of Civil Society (Framework for civil society engagement and protection)
SECTION 6: EITI Association Code of Conduct (Ethical standards and rules for EITI Office Holders)
SECTION 7: Open Data Policy (Guidelines for systematic disclosure, machine-readable data, and open licensing)
2. Core Highlights & Strategic Focus
The 2023 EITI Standard marks the 20th anniversary of the EITI. Key thematic updates introduced or strengthened in this edition include:
Energy Transition: Disclosures regarding greenhouse gas emissions, carbon pricing/taxes, production costs, commodity reserves, and revenue forecasting considering climate risks.
Anti-Corruption & Beneficial Ownership: Public disclosure of ultimate beneficial owners (including politically exposed persons/PEPs) and mandatory anti-corruption policies for state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and reporting companies.
Contract & License Transparency: Mandatory disclosure of contracts and licenses granted, entered into, or amended from January 1, 2021 onwards.
Gender & Social Impact: Requirements for gender-balanced representation, disaggregated data on employment and social expenditures, and publication of environmental/social impact assessments.
Systematic Disclosure (At Source): Moving from standalone EITI reports to routine disclosure via government and company web portals as the default expectation.
3. Detailed Summary of the 7 EITI Requirements (Section 3)
Requirement 1: Oversight by the Multi-Stakeholder Group (MSG)
1.1 Government Engagement: The head of state/government must make an unequivocal public commitment, appoint a senior lead official, and ensure active government representation.
1.2 Company Engagement: Companies must actively engage, adhere to good governance practices, and publish anti-corruption policies.
1.3 Civil Society Engagement: Requires an enabling environment where civil society can speak freely and participate without restraint, coercion, or reprisal.
1.4 Multi-Stakeholder Group (MSG): Requires an independent MSG with balanced representation across government, industry, and civil society, operating under clear public Terms of Reference.
1.5 Work Plan, Monitoring, and Review: The MSG must maintain an approved, costed work plan with clear objectives tied to national priorities, along with annual progress reviews.
Requirement 2: Legal and Institutional Framework, Contracts, and Licenses
2.1 Legal & Fiscal Regime: Disclosure of relevant laws, fiscal regimes, energy transition policies, carbon pricing mechanisms, and state subsidies.
2.2 Contract & License Allocation: Transparent reporting on procedures, technical/financial criteria, recipient identities, and any material deviations in license awards/transfers.
2.3 Register of Licenses: Maintenance of a publicly accessible register detailing license holders, coordinates, dates, and commodities produced.
2.4 Contracts and Licenses: Mandated public disclosure of all extractive contracts/licenses (and amendments) signed from 1 January 2021.
2.5 Beneficial Ownership: Disclosure of natural persons who ultimately own or control corporate entities holding extractive licenses, with 10% or lower ownership threshold recommendations and mandatory disclosure of politically exposed persons (PEPs) regardless of ownership level.
2.6 State Participation: Clear explanations of SOE roles, financial transfers, level of equity ownership, audited financial statements, and rules governing capital/operating expenditures.
Requirement 3: Exploration and Production
3.1 Exploration Activities: Overview of significant exploration activities and proven reserves.
3.2 Production Data: Disaggregated production volumes and values by commodity and project.
3.3 Export Data: Disaggregated export volumes and values by commodity and exporting company.
3.4 Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Encourages disclosure of GHG emissions aligned with international standards.
Requirement 4: Revenue Collection
4.1 Comprehensive Taxes & Revenues: Full disclosure of all material payments from companies to government entities.
4.2 In-Kind Sales: Disclosure of physical volumes, sales values, and buyer details when the state sells its share of production or in-kind revenues.
4.3 Infrastructure & Barter Agreements: Comprehensive disclosure of infrastructure provisions, resource-backed loans, and collateralized debt.
4.4 Transportation Revenues: Reporting on state/SOE revenues from commodity transit.
4.5 SOE Transactions: Full traceability of company payments to SOEs, SOE transfers to government, and government transfers to SOEs.
4.6 Subnational Payments: Mandatory disclosure of direct company payments to subnational government bodies.
4.7 Level of Disaggregation: Data must be disaggregated by individual project, company, government entity, and revenue stream.
4.8 Data Timeliness: Data must be published annually and be no older than the second-to-last complete accounting period.
4.9 Data Quality & Assurance: Application of international auditing standards and agreed MSG assurance procedures.
4.10 Project Costs: Disclosure of government policies/practices for auditing and monitoring operating and capital expenditures.
Requirement 5: Revenue Management and Distribution
5.1 Distribution of Revenues: Distinction between revenues recorded in the national budget and extra-budgetary funds (e.g., sovereign wealth funds).
5.2 Subnational Transfers: Reporting on statutory revenue-sharing transfers between central and local governments, detailing formulas and any discrepancies.
5.3 Revenue Sustainability & Forecasting: Disclosure of underlying budget assumptions and future revenue forecasts considering energy transition risks.
Requirement 6: Social and Economic Spending
6.1 Social & Environmental Expenditures: Mandated disclosures of legal/contractual social expenditures, environmental payments, and beneficiary identities.
6.2 Quasi-Fiscal Expenditures: Disclosure of public social expenditures, fuel subsidies, or debt service undertaken by SOEs outside the budget process.
6.3 Contribution to Economy: Reporting on GDP contribution, government revenue share, exports, employment (disaggregated by gender and occupational level), and primary production regions.
6.4 Environmental & Social Impact: Public access to environmental/social impact assessments, monitoring reports, permits, and sanctioning practices.
Requirement 7: Outcomes and Impact
7.1 Public Debate: Active promotion of EITI disclosures to parliamentarians, civil society, media, and citizens in accessible formats/languages.
7.2 Data Accessibility & Open Data: Disclosures must follow open data policies, open licenses, and machine-readable formats (e.g., CSV, Excel).
7.3 Recommendations: Systematic tracking and action on recommendations arising from EITI implementation and Validation.
4. Supporting Protocols, Codes, & Guidelines (Sections 4–7)
Expectations for EITI Supporting Companies: Companies are expected to publicly support the EITI, report across all operating countries, disclose project-level payments, state commodity purchases, beneficial ownership, audited financials, anti-corruption policies, and gender diversity commitments.
Civil Society Protocol: Evaluates civil society's participation across 5 tests: Expression, Operation, Association, Engagement, and Access to Public Decision-Making. Includes a Rapid Response Committee mechanism for ad hoc allegations or restrictions.
Code of Conduct: Sets ethical standards, conflict-of-interest recusal rules, anti-corruption rules, and restrictions on gifts/hospitality (> $100 USD threshold for declaration) for all EITI Office Holders.
Open Data Policy: Promotes open licensing (preferably Creative Commons Attribution 4.0), granularity, interoperability, and embedding open data within routine government systems.
Part 2: Board Oversight and Validation
Part 2 sets out the policies and procedures governing EITI implementation, Board oversight, adapted implementation, timeframes, and the evaluation (Validation) of country performance.
1. Implementation Policies and Adaptations
Adapted Implementation: Implementing countries can apply to the EITI Board for adapted implementation or temporary waivers if they face exceptional circumstances (such as political instability or conflict) that prevent full adherence to specific requirements.
Systematic Disclosure: Implementing countries are expected to embed EITI disclosures into routine government and corporate reporting systems (websites, databases, portals) rather than relying solely on standalone EITI reports.
2. Implementation Timeframes and Deadlines
Initial Disclosures: A newly admitted EITI implementing country must publish its first disclosures within 18 months of becoming an EITI candidate.
Data Timeliness: Disclosures must be published annually and cover data that is no older than the second-to-last complete accounting period.
Annual Progress Reports: The Multi-Stakeholder Group (MSG) must review and publish an annual review of impact and outcomes.
Suspension and Delisting:
Failure to meet publication deadlines results in temporary suspension.
If a country remains suspended for more than 12 months, the EITI Board will delist the country.
3. Validation System and Scoring
Validation is the EITI’s quality-assurance mechanism to assess performance and progress in achieving the objectives of the Standard.
Validation Component Scores: Performance is assessed across three main components:
Stakeholder Engagement
Transparency (Disclosures)
Outcomes and Impact
Scoring Scale (0–100 Points):
Very Low (0): No progress or negligible implementation.
Low (25): Significant gaps in implementation.
Fair (50): Partial progress towards meeting the requirement.
Good (70): Most aspects of the requirement are fulfilled.
Very Good (90): The requirement is fully met.
Exceeding / Outstanding (100): Implementation goes beyond the requirement.
Effectiveness Indicators: Up to 3 extra points can be awarded for demonstrate impact, sustainability, innovation, anti-corruption, and energy transition initiatives.
Consequences of Validation Results:
High Assessment: Future Validation schedule extended (up to 3–5 years).
Low Assessment / Unsatisfactory Progress: The country is given a corrective action plan and must undergo re-Validation within 12–18 months.
Persistent Non-Compliance: Leads to suspension or delisting by the EITI Board.
4. Validation Procedure
The Validation process follows four distinct steps:
Data Collection & Self-Assessment: The MSG and national secretariat prepare documentation and stakeholder feedback.
Initial Assessment: The International Secretariat reviews evidence and prepares a draft Validation report.
Stakeholder Comments: The MSG is given 4 weeks to comment and provide supplementary evidence.
Board Decision: The EITI Board reviews the final report and issues its official assessment decision.
Part 3: Governance and Management
Part 3 outlines the organizational governance, institutional framework, codes, and operational procedures of the global EITI Association.
1. Legal Identity and Structure
Legal Status: EITI is a non-profit international association registered under Norwegian law and headquartered in Oslo, Norway.
Governing Bodies: The governance structure consists of three main organs:
Members' Meeting: Held every 3 years alongside the EITI Global Conference to elect the EITI Chair and Board.
EITI Board: The executive governing body that oversees implementation, makes country status decisions, and manages strategic policy.
International Secretariat: The administrative body led by the Executive Director, responsible for day-to-day operations, country support, and global advocacy.
2. Constituency Representation
The EITI is governed by a multi-stakeholder structure divided into three main constituencies:
Countries: Includes both EITI Implementing Countries and Supporting Countries.
Companies: Includes state-owned enterprises (SOEs), international oil, gas, and mining companies, and institutional investors.
Civil Society: Includes international and national non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and coalitions.
The EITI Board consists of 21 members, carefully balanced across these three constituencies, chaired by an independent international leader.
3. EITI Code of Conduct
The Code of Conduct defines high ethical standards for all EITI Office Holders (Board members, Secretariat staff, MSG members):
Integrity and Professionalism: High standards of honesty, fairness, and accountability.
Conflict of Interest: Obligation to declare personal, professional, or financial interests and recuse themselves from relevant decisions.
Gifts and Hospitality: Strict rules prohibiting acceptance of gifts or favors exceeding $100 USD.
Anti-Bribery and Corruption: Zero tolerance for corruption, extortion, or bribery.
4. Open Data Policy
Guidelines ensuring that data published under the EITI Standard is accessible, usable, and interoperable:
Open Licensing: Datasets should be released under open licenses (such as Creative Commons Attribution 4.0) allowing free reuse and distribution.
Machine-Readable Formats: Data must be published in structured formats (CSV, Excel, JSON) rather than locked inside static PDF files.
Data Integration: Promoting the automated integration of government databases and corporate disclosures directly into central public portals.