How Norway’s new government strategy aligns with the EITI

Norway’s Government Plan for 2025–2029 sets out the broad economic, fiscal and security context in which the country will manage its natural resource wealth in the years ahead. It highlights the priorities that have long underpinned Norway’s approach to the extractive sector: predictability, sound revenue management and public trust.

These priorities also sit at the heart of the EITI, which has been hosted by the Government of Norway since 2007. As a global standard developed and implemented through an equal partnership among governments, companies and civil society, the EITI provides a framework that reinforces the transparency and dialogue that Norway already values.

Norway’s new strategic plan acknowledges declining petroleum revenues, rising long-term pressures on public finances and the importance of maintaining confidence in public institutions. Its emphasis on these points underscores why clear, accessible information on how resource revenues are managed should remain an essential public good in line with its commitments under the EITI.

Revenue transparency in a changing petroleum landscape

Norway is one of the world’s leading petroleum producers, with the extractive sector accounting for a substantial share of exports. At the same time, the government’s strategy is clear that oil and gas revenues will gradually decline, while demands on public spending increase due to ageing, defence needs and labour constraints. It also reaffirms continuity and predictability in the management of petroleum revenues, including through the Government Pension Fund Global.

This approach aligns closely with the 2023 EITI Standard and EITI’s global strategic priority on domestic revenue mobilisation, which emphasise transparency across the full revenue chain.

As petroleum revenues decline, transparency becomes more critical.

As petroleum revenues decline, transparency becomes more critical. Public debate naturally shifts from abundance to stewardship. Citizens and decision-makers increasingly want to understand how much revenue is being collected, how it flows through the system, and how savings and budget transfers evolve over time.

Norway’s EITI disclosures already contribute to this understanding. Strengthening how this information is connected and communicated – by presenting revenue flows clearly and highlighting trends over time – can further support informed discussion about long-term fiscal sustainability.

Mining: staying prepared in a changing global context

Norway’s strategic plan does not set out a dedicated plan on mining or minerals, despite indications of significant subsoil resources. However, its emphasis on economic security, strategic technologies and resilient supply chains reflects wider global debates linked to critical minerals and the energy transition.

In this context, the EITI’s role is not to anticipate policy choices, but to ensure that transparent governance frameworks are in place should priorities evolve. Mineral supply chains are global in nature and they directly affect Norway’s prospects for its mining sector. The 2023 EITI Standard already provides tools for improving transparency in areas of the value chain that are susceptible to poor governance – including licensing processes, revenue flows and opaque ownership structures. These are tools that can be applied if minerals become more prominent in Norway’s domestic policy agenda.

Maintaining this readiness supports Norway’s ability to respond to future developments while upholding high standards of openness and accountability.

Domestic transparency and international leadership

The strategy also reaffirms Norway’s commitment to international cooperation, a rules-based global order and continued development assistance. These commitments are closely linked to Norway’s long-standing leadership in promoting transparency and good governance internationally, including through its promotion of EITI membership in resource-rich countries.

Strong domestic transparency reinforces that leadership. Norway’s EITI implementation supports informed public debate at home, while also strengthening the country’s credibility when contributing to global efforts to advance accountability in the extractive sector, including through its support for the EITI. 

Reinforcing shared priorities

Norway’s new government strategy underscores the importance of clarity, continuity and preparedness in a period of economic transition and heightened uncertainty.

By aligning global transparency norms with strong domestic practice – particularly on revenue management, readiness for change and the energy transition – the EITI can continue to serve as a constructive partner, supporting Norway’s longstanding commitment to transparent and responsible resource governance.