EITI candidate, compliant and suspended countries and prospective candidate countries

During the recent past, EITI membership has seen a rapid expansion beyond Africa, notably to Asian but also Latin American countries, with some OECD countries set to join as well. As of June 2014, it consisted of 27 compliant countries and 17 candidate countries. This represents a noticeable increase compared to only two and twelve compliant countries in 2009 and 2011. Burma/Myanmar, Colombia, France and the UK have announced their intention to implement the EITI. Vietnam and the Seychelles have made the most recent commitments. Australia is applying an EITI pilot. In March 2014, the acceptance of Ethiopia as an EITI candidate attracted fierce criticism. This move has put the EITI’s credibility at stake, as it reverses a 2010 board decision which invoked as grounds for the refusal of Ethiopia’s candidacy a law (still in force) which prevents civil society from meaningful engagement in initiatives like the EITI.