BERLIN, 2 JULY 2014. Today the Cabinet of the German Federal Government decided to prepare for the full implementation of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) in Germany (D-EITI). Uwe Beckmeyer, Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, was appointed Special Representative for D-EITI.
Beckmeyer commented: “Germany has been a long-time supporter of the EITI going right back to the early days in 2003, and has contributed politically and financially to the development and outreach of the standard in developing countries and emerging markets worldwide. We are aware that Germany is not among the major mining nations for which the EITI was originally coined. The mining industry accounts for less than 1 % of Germany’s GDP. However, the widespread acceptance and strengthening of the EITI is in our strategic interest. The decision to implement it reflects our commitment in the G7. Together we want to enhance the transparent management of natural resources across borders, leading to an international level playing field for companies and to better results from the natural resource endowments for the people.”
With a view to the objectives for the domestic agenda Beckmeyer stated: “We will seek to harmonize the national EITI implementation with recent EU regulations on accounting and transparency. But Germany intends to go beyond transparency. We want to apply the EITI’s successful multi-stakeholder governance model to create new partnerships across stakeholder groups in the natural resource sector.”
Clare Short, Chair of the international EITI Board said: "The German government’s decision to implement the EITI standard confirms that it holds itself to the same high standards of transparency that it expects of other countries.
The German Government has been a staunch supporter and believer in the global efforts to improve governance of natural resources since the EITI's first days. It is taking efforts to ensure good governance throughout the management of natural resources. I also hope that this German leadership will be followed in Eastern Europe, not least in countries that have significant energy transit and production."
Steps are now planned to prepare for an official application as EITI candidate. Before then, round table meetings will be held with the German private sector and civil society in July 2014. All are open to the public.
For more information about D-EITI, please contact the EITI International Secretariat (secretariat@eiti.org) or the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi), Germany (buero-ivb2@bmwi.bund.de).
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