The European Union urged the Democratic Republic of the Congo to press ahead with reforms to make its trade and investment environment more predictable and transparent during a World Trade Organization review in Geneva on Tuesday.
The statement, delivered by EU ambassador María Martin-Prat, welcomed the DRC delegation led by foreign trade minister Julien Paluku Kahongya and noted the role of the WTO Secretariat in preparing the review, the European External Action Service (EEAS) informed on Wednesday.
The EU described the DRC as a country with “considerable economic potential”, citing its natural resources and its position in Africa’s regional and global supply chains, while also referring to security problems in parts of the country and “significant infrastructure shortcomings.”
The EU pointed to EU-backed infrastructure work in the DRC, including investments in transport corridors such as Corridor 6 — the Bangui–Gemena–Akula section — National Road No. 1 in Kasaï, and a “Green Corridor” linked to biodiversity protection and economic development.
It also highlighted the DRC’s access to the EU market under the Everything But Arms arrangement, which allows duty-free, quota-free exports to the EU for all products except arms and ammunition.
EU–DRC trade has been “growing steadily” and the EU cited a “very impressive trade surplus” on the DRC side, including a 61 per cent increase in imports from the EU by 2025.
Calls for clearer rules and WTO commitments
The EU encouraged the DRC to simplify administrative procedures, improve regulatory transparency and consistency, and strengthen coordination between public institutions.
It noted the DRC government’s commitment to set up Special Economic Zones — designated areas where different rules can apply to support business activity — and said it was ready to discuss developing further zones linked to strategic corridors.
The EU also called for work towards a transparent regulatory framework for “critical minerals” and suggested digitalisation could help facilitate trade and public administration.
On WTO issues, the EU noted the DRC has accepted the WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies and has co-sponsored the Agreement on Investment Facilitation for Development, while urging more active participation in joint WTO initiatives.
The EU encouraged the DRC to support a WTO agreement on electronic commerce, and invited it to join the Multiparty Interim Appeal Arbitration Arrangement (MPIA) — an alternative system for handling trade disputes among participating WTO members.
The statement also said the DRC’s record on WTO notifications “remains limited” and encouraged the country to make greater use of technical assistance and capacity-building offered by the WTO Secretariat to improve compliance with transparency obligations.
