DRC moves to field rollout under EU-backed PanAfGeo+ INVEST

The Democratic Republic of Congo has launched the PanAfGeo+ INVEST program, opening a new phase of cooperation with the European Union aimed at strengthening mining governance, geoscientific capacity and investment readiness in the country’s mineral sector. Officials said the DRC has been selected as the first showcase country under the initiative, with €17.8 million allocated to support the rollout.

The program sits within PanAfGeo+, the third phase of the EU-backed Africa-Europe geoscience partnership delivered with EuroGeoSurveys and the Organisation of African Geological Surveys. According to the official program framework, the initiative focuses on training, institutional cooperation and stronger geological knowledge systems to support more sustainable resource governance across Africa.

In Kinshasa, Congolese and EU officials presented the project as a practical tool for the next stage of mining-sector modernization. Congolese authorities say better geoscientific data can help guide public policy, improve exploration planning, attract more responsible investment and support more transparent management of natural resources. A second implementation stage, known as the Country Window DRC, is scheduled for March 19, 2026 and is expected to focus on field and laboratory work at national level.

The launch also ties the DRC program to the EU’s broader Global Gateway strategy, which the European Commission describes as a major external investment framework running through 2027, with Africa positioned as a leading regional priority through the Africa-Europe Investment Package. In that context, PanAfGeo+ INVEST is being framed not only as a geology and training project, but as part of a wider push to strengthen critical minerals value chains and improve the long-term attractiveness of African mining jurisdictions.