MEPs to examine governance of €5bn Lobito Corridor plan

The corridor is intended to link the Atlantic port of Lobito in Angola with the mineral-rich Katanga province of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia’s Copperbelt. Parliament’s development committee says its hearing will assess the project’s effectiveness.

Lawmakers have previously raised concerns about the governance of Global Gateway, an EU plan to mobilise €300bn for infrastructure in developing countries. The programme is widely viewed as Europe’s response to China’s Belt and Road Initiative and reflects the bloc’s drive to secure access to critical minerals.

The European Commission says the EU has already raised more than €2bn for the Lobito project. It is among close to €150bn in projects across Africa, according to the Commission.