Transparency in the raw materials sector:
5th German EITI Report published
 

The initiative for greater financial transparency and accountability in the raw materials sector (Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative – EITI) in Germany has presented its fifth general report (D-EITI Report). Applying the combined expertise of government, the private sector and civil society, the German EITI Multi-Stakeholder Group has released a new and detailed report on the extraction of raw materials in Germany. The jointly written report evaluates disclosed payments between raw materials companies and state bodies, and summarises key facts and data on domestic extraction activities. This information is freely accessible online to the general public on the D-EITI portal.

 
The Parliamentary State Secretary to the Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, Dr Franziska Brantner, also the D-EITI Special Representative of the German Government, said, “Through annual reporting, we are continuously implementing the international EITI Standard, providing information about the significance of the domestic extraction activities, and creating more transparency on financial flows in the Germany’s extractive sector. At the same time, we are sending an important signal in publicising the initiative and thus supporting the global fight against corruption.”
 
A key focus of the report is the systematic assessment of disclosed financial flows in the extractive sector. Payments totalling around €197 million from 18 companies that voluntarily participate in the D-EITI were disclosed to state bodies for the reporting year 2020. These include revenues for the state that are directly tied to the extraction of raw materials in Germany, such as mining royalties and lease payments.
 
The report also provides additional information that goes beyond the international EITI Standard and is relevant to extraction activities, such as information on the environmental impact of raw materials extraction.
 
Given its own chapter for the first time, the issue of securing the supply of raw materials in Germany is covered in the latest report as one of the current challenges. This focuses primarily on the three pillars of security of supply in Germany: domestic primary raw materials, secondary or recycled raw materials, and imports of raw materials. The interest groups contribute their various perspectives. The chapter also reflects current considerations regarding raw materials policy, such as those contained in the key issues paper by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (in German): Wege zu einer nachhaltigen und resilienten Rohstoffversorgung (“Paths towards a sustainable and resilient raw material supply”).
 
The D-EITI stands for cooperation between civil society, the private sector and government. The initiative intends to promote broad-based discussion on raw materials policy in Germany and raise awareness for the topics of raw materials and their supply, as well as the related aspects of sustainability.