Mendoza Participates in Global EITI Conference in Brussels, Advancing Extractive Industries Transparency
The province of Mendoza participated in the tenth edition of the Global Conference of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), held in Brussels, Belgium, with representation from the Mining Director of the Ministry of Energy and Environment, Jerónimo Shantal. The gathering brings together more than 1,000 participants from 50 countries, including governments, companies, civil society organizations and international bodies, with the purpose of exchanging experiences and tools to improve public access to information on mining and hydrocarbon activities.
Provincial participation coincides with significant progress in implementing EITI standards at both national and provincial levels. While Argentina joined the initiative in 2019, Mendoza formalized its participation in 2024 with an explicit commitment to provide information about its extractive industries to the national transparency system, including data on employment, wages and suppliers of mining projects in the exploration stage.
Mendoza's commitment to extractive transparency
Jerónimo Shantal highlighted during the conference that provincial participation responds to a comprehensive strategic objective. The official stated that “Mendoza is here to be part of transparent, sustainable mining with citizen participation”, emphasizing that the presence in Brussels not only allows for showcasing local progress but also provides firsthand knowledge of experiences from other jurisdictions.
Shantal expanded on his perspective regarding provincial commitment: “Since 2019, Argentina has adhered to EITI and Mendoza, since 2024, has assumed the commitment to report data on mining industries and also hydrocarbon industries. But we go further: we come to learn from the experiences of more than 50 countries and from representatives of companies, civil society organizations and governments on how to advance and grow in the transparency of extractive industries”.
This statement reflects a position that transcends mere regulatory compliance, positioning Mendoza as a province committed to incorporating international best practices in extractive governance.
Conference agenda: challenges and opportunities
The Global EITI Conference 2026 takes place under the theme “Transparency for Shared Prosperity” and addresses a comprehensive set of issues relevant to the contemporary extractive sector. The program examines the challenges faced by mining and hydrocarbon industries in a context marked by geopolitical tensions, economic uncertainty and accelerated transformation of energy markets.
Key thematic areas include public information disclosure, citizen participation in decision-making on natural resources, and responsible investment criteria increasingly demanded by international capital funds. Simultaneously, concrete experiences are analyzed regarding the strategic use of data to strengthen public policies, promote multi-stakeholder dialogue between governments, companies and local communities, and optimize the distribution of benefits derived from natural resource exploitation.
Information access and investment attraction
For Mendoza, participation in this international exchange space represents an opportunity to strengthen its institutional architecture in terms of extractive transparency. Provincial officials consider that the availability of clear, reliable and accessible information about mining and hydrocarbon operations directly contributes to three strategic objectives: providing greater legal certainty to investors, building trust among local communities and strengthening competitive conditions to attract new investments that drive territorial productive development.
This vision aligns with international experience reflected in the conference, where countries from diverse regions have documented that transparent information regimes on extractive industries generate positive externalities in terms of environmental governance, stable community relations and sustainable business performance. Mendoza's incorporation into the EITI system represents a step toward institutionalizing these practices within the provincial structure.
Regulatory framework: Argentine adherence to EITI
The regulatory trajectory preceding Mendoza's participation reflects strategic progression at the national level. Argentina formalized its adherence to the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative in 2019, committing itself to implementing the international standards required by the initiative. Five years later, Mendoza decided to actively join the system in 2024, assuming specific reporting responsibilities for its mining and hydrocarbon industries, with emphasis on information regarding job creation, compensation and supplier networks for projects in the exploratory phase.