Why does the Republic of Moldova need greater transparency in the mineral resources sector?

The authors used international frameworks, the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) and the Natural Resource Charter. The biggest gaps concern the publication of geological information as open data, the collection and administration of revenues from mineral resources, and the minimisation of mining's impact on the environment and society. Tatiana Savva, programme director at Expert-Grup, noted that the legal framework only fragmentarily mentions “social impact” and “citizen participation”.

The report proposes ten actions, including a participatory management strategy, free public access to geological data, regular reports, publication of all legal acts and of public tender winners, and transparency on extraction volumes, revenues and reserves. It also calls for a long-term revenue policy, a change in the fiscal regime, a revision of Law No. 86 of 29.05.2014 and its Annex 2 for stricter environmental assessment, and a mechanism for disputes and compensation. The study was funded by the Soros Foundation Moldova.