Colombia becomes IEA’s 33rd Member country

At its recent ministerial meeting in Paris, the International Energy Agency (IEA) unanimously invited Colombia to become the Agency’s 33rd Member country.

It also welcomed progress on India’s request for full membership of the Paris-based energy organisation.

India is currently an associate member of the IEA, which works on energy security, global energy policy, climate change, and energy transitions. However, India’s path to full membership is complex because IEA rules restrict membership to countries belonging to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

Why Membership Is Complicated

• The IEA’s founding legal framework allows only OECD members as full members.
• India would require an amendment to IEA rules or OECD membership to qualify.
• India formally applied for full membership in October 2023.

Recently, Colombia became the 33rd full member after joining the OECD in 2020.

About the IEA

• Established in 1974 in response to the global oil crisis triggered by the Arab oil embargo after the Yom Kippur War.
• Initially created by 17 OECD countries to ensure stable oil supplies and prevent future disruptions.
• Members must maintain minimum strategic oil reserves and coordinate emergency response measures.

Today, the IEA has 33 full members (including Colombia) and several associate members (India joined as associate in 2017).

Requirements for Full Membership

To become a full member, a country must:

• Be an OECD member.
• Maintain strategic crude oil/product reserves equal to 90 days of net imports.
• Have demand-restraint programmes (up to 10%).
• Possess legal capacity for coordinated emergency response mechanisms.

Source: IEA