license registers - extractive industries transparency … · requirement 2.3. set out the...
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Guidancenote3 June2016
ThisnotehasbeenissuedbytheEITIInternationalSecretariattoprovideguidancetoimplementingcountriesonmeetingtherequirementsintheEITIStandard.ReadersareadvisedtorefertotheEITIStandarddirectly,andtocontacttheInternationalSecretariattoseekfurtherclarification.Contactdetailscanbefoundatwww.eiti.org.
Website www.eit i .org Email secretariat@eit i .org Telephone +47 22 20 08 00 Fax +47 22 83 08 02 1 Address EITI International Secretariat, Ruseløkkveien 26, 0251 Oslo, Norway
LicenseregistersGuidancenote3–Requirement2.3
Summary
Themajorityofresourcerichcountrieshaveregistrydatabasestohelpthemmanagetheirextractiveindustrylicensingsystems.Publicationoflicenseregistersandrelatedinformationonextractiverightsenablecitizenstoseewhichcompanieshavebeenawardedrightstoexploittheirnaturalresources.Keepinganaccurateregistrysystemisalsoessentialtoencourageinvestment,tooptimisethesector’scontributiontothecountry,toclarifypropertyrights,andtoavoidconflictsovertheownershipandlocationoftenements.TheEITIrequiresthatimplementingcountriesmaintainup-to-dateandcomprehensivelicenseregisters(Requirement2.3).Requirement2.3(b)liststheinformationthatmustbeincluded.Requirement2.3(c)notesthat“where[this]information…isalreadypubliclyavailable,itissufficienttoincludeareferenceorlinkintheEITIReport”.Thedetailedrequirementsaresetoutinfullbelow.Thisnoteprovidesguidancetomulti-stakeholdergroupsonhowtoaddresstheseissuesaspartoftheEITIimplementationprocess.SomeEITIimplementingcountries,likeMongoliaandTogo,alreadyincludedisclosureofallextractiveindustries’permitsintheirEITIReports.Inmanyimplementingcountries,thisinformationisavailablefromgovernmentagenciesoronlinedatabases.ThesedatabasesvaryfromsimpleExcelspreadsheetstosophisticated,onlinesystemsincludingaGISinterfaceforplottingthecoordinatesofthetenements,geologicaldata,andotherinformationregardingthelicensingsystem.
Guidancenote3 June2016
Website www.eit i .org Email secretariat@eit i .org Telephone +47 22 20 08 00 Fax +47 22 83 08 02 2 Address EITI International Secretariat, Ruseløkkveien 26, 0251 Oslo, Norway
Requirement2.3.setouttherequirementsforlicenseregisters:
2.3 Registeroflicenses
a) Thetermlicenseinthiscontextreferstoanylicense,lease,title,permit,contractorconcessionbywhichthegovernmentconfersonacompany(ies)orindividual(s)rightstoexploreorexploitoil,gasand/ormineralresources.
b) Implementingcountriesarerequiredtomaintainapubliclyavailableregisterorcadastresystem(s)withthefollowingtimelyandcomprehensiveinformationregardingeachofthelicensespertainingtocompaniescoveredintheEITIReport:
i. Licenseholder(s).ii. Wherecollated,coordinatesofthelicensearea.Wherecoordinatesarenotcollated,thegovernmentis
requiredtoensurethatthesizeandlocationofthelicenseareaaredisclosedinthelicenseregisterandthatthecoordinatesarepubliclyavailablefromtherelevantgovernmentagencywithoutunreasonablefeesandrestrictions.TheEITIReportshouldincludeguidanceonhowtoaccessthecoordinatesandthecost,ifany,ofaccessingthedata.TheEITIReportshouldalsodocumentplansandtimelinesformakingthisinformationfreelyandelectronicallyavailablethroughthelicenseregister.
iii.Dateofapplication,dateofawardanddurationofthelicense.iv. Inthecaseofproductionlicenses,thecommoditybeingproduced.
Itisexpectedthatthelicenseregisterorcadastreincludesinformationaboutlicensesheldbyallentities,includingcompaniesandindividualsorgroupsthatarenotincludedintheEITIReport,i.e.wheretheirpaymentsfallbelowtheagreedmaterialitythreshold.Wheretherearesignificantlegalorpracticalbarrierspreventingsuchcomprehensivedisclosure,thisshouldbedocumentedandexplainedintheEITIReport,includinganaccountofgovernmentplansforseekingtoovercomesuchbarriersandtheanticipatedtimescaleforachievingthem.
c) Wheretheinformationsetoutin2.3(b)isalreadypubliclyavailable,itissufficienttoincludeareferenceorlinkintheEITIReport.Wheresuchregistersorcadastresdonotexistorareincomplete,theEITIReportshoulddiscloseanygapsinthepubliclyavailableinformationanddocumenteffortstostrengthenthesesystems.Intheinterim,theEITIReportitselfshouldincludetheinformationsetoutin2.3(b)above.Source:EITIStandard2016,p.18-19
Guidancenote3 June2016
Website www.eit i .org Email secretariat@eit i .org Telephone +47 22 20 08 00 Fax +47 22 83 08 02 3 Address EITI International Secretariat, Ruseløkkveien 26, 0251 Oslo, Norway
Guidance
TheEITIInternationalSecretariatrecommendsthefollowingstep-by-stepapproachtoMSGsforaddressingRequirement2.3:
1. Understandingthelicensingsystem.InaccordancewithRequirement2.3(b),implementingcountriesarerequiredtomaintainapubliclyavailableregisterorcadastresystem.Themulti-stakeholdergroupisadvisedtoapproachthisrequirementbyfirstreviewingandgaininganunderstandingofthecurrentlyavailableinformationaboutthelicensingsystem.
Guidingquestions:
• Areoil,gasandmineralrightsaddressedintheConstitution,placingownershipofnaturalresourceswiththenationanditspeople,and/orinsectorspecificlegislation?
• Whichagenciesareauthorisedtogranthydrocarbonandmineralrightsorlicenses?• AretheseagenciescurrentlyengagedintheEITIprocess?• Isthereapubliclyavailableregister/cadastresystem?
(NB:Theremaybemorethanonesystem,e.g.systemsatnational,regionalandlocallevelsand,ifso,isthereacleardelineationofcompetencesbetweenthemandifnothowdisputesaretypicallyresolved)
• Howoftenistheregister(s)updated,andwhoundertakesthiswork?• Arethereanyreformsunderwaytothecurrentlicensingsystem/s?
2. Assessingthecompletenessoftheinformationaboutlicenses.Itisexpectedthattheregisteror
cadastreincludeinformationaboutalllicensesapplicabletotheextractivesector(Requirement2.3(b)).Wheretherearesignificantlegalorpracticalbarrierspreventingsuchcomprehensivedisclosure,thisshouldbedocumentedandexplainedintheEITIReport,includinganaccountofgovernmentplansforseekingtoovercomesuchbarriersandtheanticipatedtimescaleforachievingthem(Requirement2.3(b)).Themulti-stakeholdergroupisthereforeadvisedtoanalysethecompletenessoftheavailableinformation,forexamplebyassessingwhether:
a) Thelicenseregistryiscompleteanduptodate,i.e.doesitcoverallactiveextractiveindustrylicenses?Ifnot:
o DoesitincludethelicensesheldbythecompaniescoveredintheEITIReport?Ifnotwhatpercentageoflicencesarecovered?
o What,ifany,legalandpracticalbarriersexistthatmaypreventdisclosureofinformationaboutallextractiveindustrylicenses?
o Whattypeofsystemcurrentlyexistsi.e.manualorcomputerbased?o Isthesystemuptodatei.e.howaccuratelydoesitreflectcurrentlicenceownership?
Isthereameanstoaccesschangesinlicenceownershipnotrecordedintheregister?o Aretherereformsunderwayseekingtoaddressthecomprehensivenessofthelicense
cadastre,andifsowhataretheanticipatedtimeframes?
b) ThelicenseregistrycontainsthenecessaryinformationasperRequirement2.3(b):o Whoarethelicenseholder(s)?
Guidancenote3 June2016
Website www.eit i .org Email secretariat@eit i .org Telephone +47 22 20 08 00 Fax +47 22 83 08 02 4 Address EITI International Secretariat, Ruseløkkveien 26, 0251 Oslo, Norway
o Whatarethecoordinatesofthelicensearea?Note:ExperiencewithimplementationhasshownthatlicensecoordinatesarenotalwayscollatedinonlineregistersorexceltablesthatcaneasilybesubmittedalongsidetheEITIReport.Wherecoordinatesarenotcollated,thegovernmentisrequiredtoensurethatthesizeandlocationofthelicenseareaaredisclosedinthelicenseregisterandthatthecoordinatesarepubliclyavailablefromtherelevantgovernmentagencywithoutunreasonablefeesandrestrictions.TheEITIReportshouldincludeguidanceonhowtoaccessthecoordinatesandthecost,ifany,ofaccessingthedata.TheEITIReportshouldalsodocumentplansandtimelinesformakingthisinformationfreelyandelectronicallyavailablethroughthelicenseregister.
o What is the duration of the license (date of application, date of award anddurationofthelicense)?
o Inthecaseofproductionlicenses,whichcommodityisbeingproduced?
3. Ensuringthattheinformationispubliclyavailable.Basedontheaboveanalysis,themulti-stakeholdergroupisadvisedtoagreehowtoincludethisinformationintheEITIReport.Requirement2.3(c)notesthat“wheretheinformationsetoutin2.3(b)aboveisalreadypubliclyavailable,itissufficienttoincludeareferenceorlinkintheEITIReport.Wheresuchregistersorcadastresdonotexistorareincomplete,theEITIReportshoulddiscloseanygapsinthepubliclyavailableinformationanddocumenteffortstostrengthenthesesystems.Intheinterim,theEITIReportitselfshouldincludetheinformationsetoutin2.3(b)above”.Thus,themulti-stakeholdergroupisadvisedtoconsider:
• IncorporatingashortsummaryoftheaboveassessmentintheEITIReport,includinganoverviewoflicensingactivityintheperiodcoveredbytheEITIReport.
• Wherethelicenseinformationistimely,comprehensiveandpubliclyavailableonline,providingalinktothelicenseregistryintheEITIReport.
• Wherethereareweaknessesintheinformationthatisavailable,includingatableintheEITIReportorontheEITIwebsitewiththerequiredinformation.
Note:ItistypicallybeyondthescopeoftheMSGtobecomeaproxylicenceregistrywherecountrysystemsareincompleteorinaccurate.TheMSGmaywishconsiderhowtheiractionscanidentifygapsorweaknessesincountrylicencingsystemsandencouragepracticalandlongtermsolutionstomakingaccurateuptodatelicencinginformationpubliclyavailable.TheMSGmayalsowishtomakerecommendationsforimprovingsectorgovernance,andmonitorprogressthroughEITIReportingandannualprogressreports.
Guidancenote3 June2016
Website www.eit i .org Email secretariat@eit i .org Telephone +47 22 20 08 00 Fax +47 22 83 08 02 5 Address EITI International Secretariat, Ruseløkkveien 26, 0251 Oslo, Norway
Examples
Norway’sPetroleumRegisterismaintainedbytheNorwegianPetroleumDirectorate.DataisenteredinthePetroleumregisteronanon-goingbasis,andiscopieddailytotheonlineFactPages.
Source:NorwegianPetroleumDirectorate,http://factpages.npd.no/factpages/default.aspx
Guidancenote3 June2016
Website www.eit i .org Email secretariat@eit i .org Telephone +47 22 20 08 00 Fax +47 22 83 08 02 6 Address EITI International Secretariat, Ruseløkkveien 26, 0251 Oslo, Norway
TheTanzaniaMinistryofEnergyandMineralsistogetherwithSpatialDimensiondevelopinganonlinecadastre.
Source:TanzaniaMinistryofEnergyandMineralsandSpatialDimensionPtyLtd-SD,http://www.flexicadastre.com/tanzania/
Togo’sEITIreportsincludeanoverviewofalllicensesheldbythecompaniescoveredintheEITIReport,includinginformationsuchasthecommoditybeingexploredand/orproduced,licensereferencenumbers,andthedurationofthelicense.
Source:Togo2011EITIReport,http://www.itietogo.org/