European Union

Support for Mine Action

Last updated: 17 November 2022

In 2021, the European Union (EU) was the fifth-largest donor to mine action, contributing more than €31 million (US$37.8 million) to 14 countries in Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and South America.[1]

The largest contribution went to Türkiye for clearance activities implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Turkish Mine Action Center (TURMAC). This represented more than one-quarter (30%) of the EU’s total contribution for the year.

As in 2020, Croatia received substantial funds for clearance activities. At the Mine Action National Directors and United Nations (UN) Advisers meeting in May 2021, Croatia said that “the stability of financing sources for mine action…is based on political will, high proportion of its own resources, extraordinary cross-sectorial cooperation and exceptional European Union contribution.”[2] Since Croatia’s accession to the EU in 2013, the EU has contributed more than €130 million (more than $150 million) to demining efforts in the country.

Overall, the EU allocated more than 80% (€27.9 million/$33 million) of its funding to clearance and risk education in Azerbaijan, Colombia, Croatia, Iraq, Myanmar (survey), Senegal, Syria, Türkiye, and Ukraine.

Contributions by recipient: 2021[3]

Recipient	Sector	Amount (€)	Amount (US$)
Türkiye	Clearance	9,500,000	11,238,500
Croatia	Clearance	5,500,000	6,506,500
Syria	Clearance and risk education	5,000,000	5,915,000
Ukraine	Clearance and risk education	2,560,000	3,028,480
Colombia	Clearance and risk education	2,000,000	2,366,000
Iraq	Clearance and risk education	1,500,000	1,774,500
Azerbaijan	Clearance, risk education, and victim assistance	1,150,000	1,360,450
Afghanistan	Emergency response, risk education, and victim assistance	1,100,000	1,301,300
Senegal	Clearance	750,000	887,250
Myanmar	Clearance (survey)	750,000	887,250
Global	Capacity-building	700,000	828,100
Libya	Capacity-building and clearance	500,000	591,500
Yemen	Victim assistance	500,000	591,500
Lebanon	Capacity-building	300,000	354,900
Armenia	Victim assistance	130,000	153,790
Total		31,940,000	37,785,020

Mine action assistance approach

Mine action support has been described as one of “the high priorities of EU foreign policy,” and is closely linked to the realization of the 2030 Agenda and environmental considerations, as well as to the concepts of early warning, conflict prevention, crisis management, and post-conflict rehabilitation.[4]

In August 2017, the EU Council adopted a decision in support of implementation of the Mine Ban Treaty.[5] The decision expired in 2021 and was replaced in February by a new decision to contribute to the full implementation of the Oslo Action Plan over a period of four years. The EU Council committed to contribute a total of €2.7 million ($3.3 million) to support mine clearance, risk education and reduction efforts, victim assistance, universalization, and alternatives to the use of live antipersonnel landmines for training purposes. As part of the decision, the EU also aims to strengthen awareness of the treaty among the international community.[6]

In 2018, the European Commission (EC) decided to restructure its external action funding architecture and elaborate a new instrument to unify all its policies, known as the Neighborhood Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI). Following its adoption by the European Parliament in June 2021, the NDICI has become the EU’s main financial tool and integrates many of the instruments used for mine action assistance. The total budget of the NDICI amounted to about €79.5 billion ($95.8 billion) for the period 2021–2027.[7]

COVID-19 and mine action support

In April 2020, as a result of the deteriorating situation due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was decided that funds initially allocated to mine action in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) for 2018–2019 would be diverted to address COVID-19 and migration issues. This was the only instance of a major diversion of EU mine action funding identified. The duration of several projects was also extended to address delays caused by the pandemic.[8]

Five-year support to mine action

In 2017–2021, the EU has consistently ranked among the top five donors to mine action, with its contribution over the five-year period totaling more than €329 million (more than $379.2 million). This represents an 11% increase to its total contribution during the previous five-year period, from 2012–2016, when it provided €297.6 million. Yet after conversion into United States (US) dollars and as a result of the impact of variation of exchange rates, this represents an increase of only 3% with $367.9 million provided.

Summary of contributions: 2017–2021[9]

Year	Amount (€)	Amount (US$)	% change from previous year (US$)
2021	31,940,000	37,785,020	-58
2020	78,672,000	89,764,752	+18
2019	67,925,531	76,035,840	-30
2018	91,449,318	108,065,659	+60
2017	59,805,483	67,586,176	-12
Total	329,792,332	379,237,447	N/A

Note: N/A=not applicable.

[1] Email from Carole Ory, Senior Expert, Disarmament, Non-Proliferation and Arms Export Control, European External Action Service (EEAS), 22 September 2022.

[2] Statement of Croatia, Twenty-Fourth International Meeting of Mine Action National Directors and UN Advisers, held virtually, 25 May 2021.

[3] Average exchange rate for 2021: €1=US$1.1830. United States (US) Federal Reserve, “List of Exchange Rates (Annual),” 3 January 2022.

[4] EEAS, “The European Union’s Support for Mine Action Across the World,” 2018; statement of the EU, Convention on Cluster Munitions Second Review Conference, Geneva, 21 September 2021; statement of the EU, Mine Ban Treaty Eighteenth Meeting of States Parties, Geneva, 19 November 2020; and statement of the EU, 946^th Meeting of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Forum for Security Cooperation, 13 May 2020.

[5] Council Decision (CFSP) 2017/1428 in support of the implementation of the Maputo Action Plan for the Implementation of the 1997 Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production, and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destruction, 4 August 2017.

[6] CFSP 2021/257 in support of the Oslo Action Plan for the Implementation of the 1997 Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destruction, 18 February 2021. Average exchange rate for February 2021: €1=$1.2094. US Federal Reserve, “Foreign Exchange Rates – G.5 Monthly,” 1 March 2021.

[7] EU Council, “EU external action budget: European Commission welcomes the final adoption of the EU’s new long-term external action budget for 2021–2027,” 9 June 2021. Average exchange rate for June 2021: €1=$1.2048. US Federal Reserve, “Foreign Exchange Rates – G.5 Monthly,” 1 July 2021.

[8] Email from Frank Meeussen, Disarmament, Non-Proliferation and Arms Export Control, EEAS, 11 June 2020; and BiH Mine Action Center (BHMAC), “Ten million EUR intended for humanitarian demining projects in BiH diverted to COVID 19 and migration issues,” 10 April 2020.

[9] See previous Monitor reports.