Contamination and Impact

Mines

In December 2009 at the Second Review Conference of the Mine Ban Treaty, Greece announced it was in full compliance with Article 5 of the treaty.[1] However, there is one marked minefield on the island of Rhodes, the largest of Greece’s islands and a popular tourist destination. In response to concerns raised by the ICBL, Greece reported in June 2011 that the Greek army cleared the area in 1987 but failed to locate all of the mines, and that since then has conducted quality assurance (QA) seven times through to May 2011.[2] QA is conducted at a deeper depth and larger perimeter each time. In May 2011, QA was said to have been conducted at 40cm depth. In September 2011, it is planned to conduct QA at a depth of 1.2m. Since 1987, no mines have been found.[3] After several inquiries by the Monitor and concerns raised by the ICBL, Greece informed the Monitor in May 2012 that it would undertake full clearance of the area before the end of the year.[4] Clearance operations started in May 2012.

In addition, Greece is contaminated with antivehicle mines in minefields in Evros along the border with Turkey.[5]

Explosive remnants of war

Contamination elsewhere in the country consists of booby-traps and explosive remnants of war (ERW) remaining from World War II and from the 1946–1949 civil conflict in the Western Macedonia and Epirus regions in the north of the country. The contaminated area is not clearly defined, although the amount of ERW is said to be large.[6] A survey in Western Macedonia in 2007 found a total of 786 suspected hazardous areas (SHAs), including some mined areas, of which 13 SHAs covering 310,000m² were subsequently cleared, leaving 773 areas to be addressed.[7]

In March 2011, Greece reported that it was clearing ERW in the Western Macedonia and Epirus regions and that from September to December 2010 it had cleared 218,900m². Greece did not report whether the clearance was occurring in just one or in both of the regions. Weather conditions limit clearance operations.[8]

In an interview with the Monitor, Lieutenant-Colonel Demetrios Tavris from the Ministry of Defense said it was impossible to determine the extent of the ERW problem in other parts of Greece as there could always be some residual contamination.[9]

Mine Action Program

There is no national mine action authority or mine action center in Greece. All clearance operations and their management fall under the Ministry of Defense’s responsibility.[10]

Land Release

As noted above, clearance of former battle areas took place in 2010, although details of the areas cleared have not been made public.

Mine clearance in 2011

No formal mine clearance took place in 2011, but major operations started in May 2012. In 2009, Greece completed clearance of antipersonnel mines in the 57 mined areas it laid along the border with Turkey.[11] During clearance at Evros, it found and destroyed 24,731 antipersonnel mines.[12]

Compliance with Article 5 of the Mine Ban Treaty

Under Article 5 of the Mine Ban Treaty, Greece is required to destroy all antipersonnel mines in mined areas under its jurisdiction or control as soon as possible, but not later than 1 March 2014.

At the Second Review Conference, Greece claimed that it had fulfilled its Article 5 obligations in 2009, five years before its deadline, and that there were no known mined areas under Greece’s jurisdiction or control containing antipersonnel mines. In the event that new unknown mined areas were discovered, Greece would report to States Parties under the reporting mechanisms of the treaty.[13]

However, the marked minefield on the island of Rhodes suggests that Greece’s declaration of compliance was premature and that Greece will have outstanding legal obligations under the treaty until all of the SHA has been safely and successfully released.

Questions also remain about the completion of clearance of mined areas elsewhere in the country dating back to the civil war. Greece’s most recent Article 13 report under CCW Amended Protocol II to the Convention on Conventional Weapons refers to areas contaminated by mines in Western Macedonia and Epirus, although it notes that there are “no properly defined minefields in this area and no maps.”[14] Greece has reported as “void” the section covering “areas suspected to contain mines” in its annual Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 reports.[15]

Other Risk Reduction Measures

There is no formal mine/ERW risk education program in Greece. Greece reported that “all minefields along the border with Turkey in the Evros province are clearly defined and marked.”[16] It also stated that “all minefields have a double fence” and that “barbed wire was added to almost all the minefields of Evros.”[17]