Press Release: The European Union leads on the eradication of anti-personnel landmines

The EU is at the forefront of the fight against landmines, with more than 60 million mines lying hidden and a stockpile estimated at some 250 million. In 1999 the total EU contribution to external mine action amounted to €103 million, making the Union the largest contributor world-wide. EU funding supported projects in almost every continent and covering a range of activities from mine surveying, detection and clearance, mine destruction and demining research to assistance to victims and mine awareness programmes. In order to highlight and explain the Union's action in this area, External Relations Commissioner Chris Patten published a brochure, 'The Response of the European Union to the Anti-Personnel Landmines Challenge', on the occasion of the Second Conference of the States participating into the Ottawa Convention which took place in Geneva from 11-15.9.00

• Primary Source

http://ec.europa.eu/comm/external_relations/mine/publication/en.pdf http://ec.europa.eu/comm/external_relations/mine/publication/en.pdf

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