EU research to help eradicate scourge of landmines
The European Commission has published a document outlining the wide-ranging efforts of the EU to eliminate the global scourge of landmines by developing new methods for their detection and destruction. 'The response of the European Union to the anti-personnel landmines challenge' was published on the eve of the second international conference of signatories to the Ottawa Convention taking place in Geneva from September 11 to 15. That agreement, prohibiting the use, stockpiling, production and transfer of anti-personnel mines, came into effect on May 1, 1999. The EU has pledged to remove the threat of landmines to civilian populations around the globe within 10 to 15 years. It foresees a prominent role for EU research institutions in helping to achieve this goal. It has become the biggest international donor to anti-mine operations, providing 103 million euro in 1999 alone. Those funds support a wide range of initiatives in mine awareness and education, surveying and marking mine fields, removing and destroying the devices and in humanitarian assistance for the victims. Developing faster and more efficient methods for clearing minefields is a priority for the EU. The report describes the range of projects carried out at the European Commission Joint Research Centre laboratory at Ispra, Italy. The main thrust of the research is to determine the characteristic 'signatures' of different devices when tested with different types of radar, thermal infrared and metal detecting sensors and to analyse the effects of varying environmental conditions on their accuracy. The laboratory is also part of a wider international effort in testing new anti-mine technologies and in training mine clearance personnel. Thousands of civilians are killed or maimed each year by anti-personnel mines and unexploded ordinance such as shells and grenades. Estimates of the numbers of mines laid around the world vary enormously but most authorities believe there are at least 60 million still active in at least 60 current and former conflict zones. 'The majority of these mines have been randomly laid, with limited tactical rationale and often deployed simply to terrorise and demoralise local populations,' the report notes. The report also highlights the practical problems of achieving the goals of the Ottawa Convention. Mines are cheap and efficient weapons costing around US$2 each but mine clearance operations are expensive in manpower and materials - it costs around US$850 to detect and destroy each device. In his introduction to the report, Mr Chris Patten, Commissioner for External relations emphasises the importance of the Community's humanitarian role. 'Anti-personnel landmines are weapons abhorred by the international community for their uniquely indiscriminate nature. They are sown in haste, but their innocent harvest is gathered at leisure - in cold blood. They lie unseen, malign and enduring to threaten lives, terrorise populations and perpetuate hate between former enemies long after the scene of battle has shifted.'