European Influence on Corruption in the DRC Mining Industry: A Comparative Assessment of the Impact of the EU Conflict Minerals Regulation and the Dodd-Frank Act’s Section 1502

Abstract

Corruption within the mining sector of the Democratic Republic of Congo is among the principal mineral supply chain issues. It is against this backdrop that this thesis analyzes the effectiveness of two primary legislative arms—Section 1502 of the U.S. Dodd-Frank Act and the European Union's Conflict Minerals Regulation (2017/821)—in fighting deep-rooted corruption and illegal trade practices. Placed into a postcolonial context, the research considers whether external intervention has reduced or intensified state failure and economic reliance in the DRC. Based on a qualitative comparative case study approach, the analysis relies on process tracing, document analysis, and six semi-structured interviews with stakeholders in the mining industry, civil society organizations, and European institutions. It is also based on experiences gained from participation in the 2025 OECD Forum on Responsible Mineral Supply Chains. The research suggests that while both pairs of regulations call for transparency and due diligence, their impacts are unbalanced and one-sided. The Dodd-Frank Act caused unforeseen economic isolation and further unregulated mining, while the EU regulation, despite being more collaborative in scope, is marred with uneven enforcement and postponed execution. In both cases, criminal networks have adapted, taking advantage of loopholes and persisting in hidden financial transactions. The study discovers that without strong local government and participatory enforcement, externally driven systems of regulation will tend to re-enforce neocolonial patterns rather than to dismantle them. Finally, it contributes to European studies, postcolonial governance, and ethics of global supply chains debates by highlighting the importance of context-sensitive, participatory strategies to anti-corruption reform.