European Commission
Support for Mine Action
Since 2000 the European Union (EU) has been the second largest donor in mine action after the United States. It was again the second largest donor in 2012, contributing €47.2 million (US$60.7 million) to 15 countries in South America, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East.[1]
Of the €47.2 million, €2.9 million ($3.7 million) was allocated through the European Commission Humanitarian Office (ECHO) in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), South Sudan, and Sri Lanka.
The EU supported Afghanistan, Somalia, and South Sudan through contributions to the UN Voluntary Trust Fund totaling €16.1 million ($20.7 million).
All but €458,260 ($589,277) of the total funds provided by the EU were dedicated to either mine clearance or building the capacity of national mine action centers.
Except for ECHO funding, all EU support for mine action is awarded as multi-year funding for two to three years. The Monitor reports the complete amount in the year the funding was awarded. At the end of 2011, the EU and the government of Colombia finalized an agreement for €6 million to be given over the course of several years from 2011–2014. However, no EU funds had been expended as of September 2012.[2] In November 2012, the EU awarded funding to Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA) in Myanmar, but the contract between the EU and NPA was not signed until June 2013.[3]
In 2012, the EU announced it planned to renew support to Lebanon (€7 million/$9 million[4] over three years) and Angola (€20 million/$25.7 million over three years). In September 2012, the European Commission (EC) office in Lebanon issued a tender for mine clearance operations and another in August 2013 for risk education and victim assistance.[5] The EC office in Angola issued a tender in August 2013 for €16.3 million ($21 million) for mine clearance operations in 11 provinces.[6]
Contributions by recipient: 2012[7]
|
Recipients |
Sector |
Amount (€) |
Amount ($) |
|
Somalia |
Clearance |
13,000,000 |
16,716,700 |
|
Colombia |
Various |
6,011,191 |
7,729,791 |
|
Libya |
Clearance |
5,300,000 |
6,815,270 |
|
Lao PDR |
Clearance |
4,600,000 |
5,915,140 |
|
Senegal |
Clearance |
4,000,000 |
5,143,600 |
|
Myanmar |
Clearance |
3,500,000 |
4,500,650 |
|
Chad |
Clearance |
2,500,000 |
3,214,750 |
|
South Sudan |
Clearance |
2,097,000 |
2,696,532 |
|
Lebanon |
Capacity building |
1,900,000 |
2,443,210 |
|
Afghanistan |
Clearance |
1,087,500 |
1,398,416 |
|
Global |
Advocacy |
1,030,000 |
1,324,477 |
|
Niger |
Capacity building, victim assistance |
815,000 |
1,048,009 |
|
Philippines |
Clearance |
552,098 |
709,943 |
|
Sri Lanka |
Clearance |
420,000 |
540,078 |
|
DRC |
Clearance |
369,700 |
475,397 |
|
India |
Risk education |
58,260 |
74,917 |
|
Total |
|
47,240,749 |
60,746,879 |
Contributions by thematic sector: 2012
|
Sector |
Amount (€) |
Amount ($) |
% |
|
Clearance |
40,356,298 |
51,894,164 |
85.4 |
|
Capacity building |
6,426,191 |
8,263,439 |
13.6 |
|
Victim assistance |
400,000 |
514,360 |
0.8 |
|
Risk education |
58,260 |
74,917 |
0.2 |
|
Total |
47,240,749 |
60,746,879 |
100 |
Summary of contributions: 2008–2012[8]
|
Year |
Amount (€) |
Amount ($) |
|
2012 |
47,240,749 |
60,746,879 |
|
2011 |
13,852,393 |
19,297,769 |
|
2010 |
37,533,764 |
49,773,524 |
|
2009 |
34,533,082 |
48,121,850 |
|
2008 |
15,478,721 |
22,793,965 |
|
Total |
148,638,709 |
200,733,987 |
[1] Email from Carolin J. Thielking, Directorate for Non-Proliferation and Disarmament, European External Action Service (EEAS), European Commission (EC), 15 May 2013.
[2] Ibid.; and email from Ulrich Tietze, Technical Advisor, EC, Bogota, 3 September 2012.
[3] NPA, “NPA signs agreement with the EU on Mine Action in Myanmar,” 25 June 2013.
[4] EEAS, “The European Union renews its support to demining in Lebanon,” 25 November 2011.
[5] EC, “Mine Action in Lebanon,” 29 September 2012; and EC, “Mine Action in Lebanon: Mine Victims Assistance and Mine Risk Education,” 7 August 2013.
[6] EC, “Calls for proposals & Procurement notices,” 5 August 2013.
[7] Average exchange rate for 2012: €1=US$1.2859. US Federal Reserve, “List of Exchange Rates (Annual),” 3 January 2013.
[8] See Landmine Monitor reports 2008–2011; and ICBL-CMC, “Country Profile: European Commission: Support for Mine Action,” 5 October 2012.