The Democratic Republic of Congo’s role in Europe’s cobalt supply chain amid China’s prominence
This research paper aims to assess the Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC) role in Europe’s cobalt supply security in the context of the European Critical Raw Materials Act (ECRMA) and the Net Zero Industry Act (NZIA). After reviewing Europe’s need for cobalt and its role in the lithium-ion battery supply chain, it outlines Europe’s strategies to cobalt supply dependencies and efforts to reduce its reliance on China. It then discusses the mining landscape in the DRC, China’s policies and involvement in it to date before assessing the DRC’s contributions to Europe’s supply security.
