Key developments since May 2005: In 2005, the Greek Army battalion,
TENX, surveyed almost 2.25 square kilometers in various locations across the
country, mainly in the Grammos and Vitsi mountains in the northwest. As of 10
April 2006, 10,002 of the 24,751 antipersonnel mines had been cleared from the
minefields on the Evros River bordering Turkey. In 2005, at least seven people
were killed and one other was injured in the Evros minefields. Landmine Monitor
identified one instance of rehabilitation and other assistance provided to a
civilian mine survivor in Greece.
Mine Ban Policy
The Hellenic Republic signed the Mine Ban Treaty on 3 December 1997, ratified
it on 25 September 2003, and the treaty entered into force on 1 March 2004.
Ratification makes the Mine Ban Treaty part of Greek
legislation.[1] In its Article 7
transparency report submitted in April 2006, Greece for the first time included
details of its national implementation measures and specified which parts of
existing criminal codes provide penal sanctions for treaty
violations.[2]
Greece attended the Sixth Meeting of States Parties in Zagreb, Croatia in
November-December 2005, and made a statement on its mine action activities.
Greece also attended the intersessional Standing Committee meetings in Geneva in
June 2005 and May 2006. At the May meeting, it provided an update on fulfilling
its mine clearance obligations under Article 5.
Landmine Monitor has a copy of Greece’s annual updated Article 7
report, dated 30 April 2006, and covering the period from 30 April 2005 to 30
April 2006. The report utilizes all standard forms, including voluntary Form
J.[3] As of July 2006, the report had
not been posted on the UN website.
Greece has not engaged in the extensive discussions that States Parties have
had on matters of interpretation and implementation related to Articles 1, 2 and
3. Thus, Greece has not made known its views on issues related to joint
military operations with non-States Parties, foreign stockpiling or transit of
antipersonnel mines, antivehicle mines with sensitive fuzes or antihandling
devices, and the permissible number of mines retained for training.
Greece is a State Party to the Convention on Conventional Weapons and its
Amended Protocol II on landmines. It attended the Seventh Annual Conference of
States Parties to Amended Protocol II in November 2005 and submitted its annual
report required by Article 13 on 13 December 2005. In March 2006, an army
official said Greece would soon ratify Protocol V on explosive remnants of
war.[4]
Production, Trade, Stockpiling and Destruction
Greece is a former producer of antipersonnel mines, and also imported them
from Germany and the United States.[5] Prior to becoming a State Party, Greece had a moratorium on production and
export of antipersonnel mines for a number of years.
In all of its Article 7 reports, Greece has declared a stockpile of 1,566,532
antipersonnel mines, composed of five types: M2 (214,374); DM31 (794,400); M16
(553,359); M14 (3,895); and Area Denial Antipersonnel Mine (ADAM) artillery
shells (504).[6] However, each ADAM
155 mm projectile contains 36 antipersonnel mines; thus the 504 shells cited by
Greece contain 18,144 mines, bringing the stockpile total to 1,584,676.
Greece reported in May 2005 that a study for the mine destruction project had
been completed and the budget approved. An international tender for destruction
was announced and was still open as of June
2006.[7] Greece stated that
stockpiled mines “will be possibly transferred to a third country for
destruction by 2008. An international tender has yet to be found for that.
Legal and administrative procedures are in
progress.”[8]
Destruction of the antipersonnel mine stockpile has been included in the
Greek Army’s overall program for the destruction of ammunition. An army
official told Landmine Monitor that ADAM mines, which contain traces of depleted
uranium, pose a problem because they must be frozen before
destruction.[9] Despite the
challenges, Greece has given assurances that it will meet its treaty-mandated
deadline for stockpile destruction of 1 March
2008.[10]
Mines Retained for Research and Training
In all of its Article 7 reports, Greece indicated that it will retain 7,224
antipersonnel mines for training and development purposes: M2 (1,512); DM31
(1,512); M16 (420); and M14 (3,780).[11]
In June 2005, Greek officials provided a detailed rationale to Landmine
Monitor of how Greece determined its requirement to retain 7,224 antipersonnel
mines.[12 ] It again elaborated on
this subject in June 2006. It explained that the mines are needed for the army
to retain its ability to conduct counter-mine operations; the army must have
“the operational ability to lay or to clear a typical minefield of 100
meter width by 60 meters depth, of the minimum possible density as this
technical operation is prescribed by NATO field
manuals.”[13]
In its April 2006 Article 7 report, Greece did not utilize the expanded Form
D for reporting on retained mines agreed upon at the Sixth Meeting of States
Parties in December 2005.
Landmine and ERW Problem
Greece is affected by landmines and explosive remnants of war (ERW). It has
maintained minefields along the Evros River on its heavily militarized northern
border with Turkey since the mid-1970s. In 2004, Greece revealed that, in
addition to antivehicle mines, there are 24,751 antipersonnel mines in the Evros
minefields, composed of 2,162 M2 and 22,589 M16
mines.[14]
In September 2005, the Ministry of Defense claimed that border regions with
Bulgaria, Albania and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia are not
mine-affected.[15] However, on
several occasions, the Ministry of Defense has confirmed the presence of mine
and ERW-suspected areas in those regions dating from the Greek civil war
(1947-1949) and World War II. The suspected areas are said to be fenced off and
pose no danger to the population.[16] In its 2004 report, Landmine Monitor provided details of the
contamination.[17]
The Ministry of Defense also reported in 2004 that there are other
mine/ERW-suspected areas on the mainland and various
islands.[18] Greece’s Article
7 reports provide information only on the location of mined areas in the Evros
area.[19]
Two periods of heavy rainfall in March 2005 and in January 2006 flooded
several minefields on the border with Turkey and increased river levels
substantially, raising concerns that mines might have been displaced. In May
2006, the Ministry of Defense confirmed that the flooding did not affect the
minefields or the scheduled demining
work.[20]
Mine Action Program
The Ministry of Defense holds responsibility for mine clearance. The Land
Minefield Clearance Battalion, TENX, has carried out mine and ERW clearance
since 1954. The battalion consists of 260 people divided into 15 teams. TENX
also includes 20 civilian
deminers.[21]
There is no national mine action legislation in Greece. The Ministry of
Defense reports that TENX complies with International Mine Action Standards
(IMAS) and NATO standards for mine clearance equipment, team structure, fencing
and marking. Information on mine action is stored in a database accessible only
to the Army General Staff and Defense General
Staff.[22]
Strategic Planning and Progress
There is no strategic mine action plan in Greece. According to the Ministry
of Defense, Greece’s plan is to clear all antipersonnel mines in mined
areas before the deadline set by the Mine Ban
Treaty.[23 ] At the Standing
Committee meetings in May 2006, Greece announced that 47 percent of the
antipersonnel mines in mined areas had been
cleared.[24] Of the 24,751
antipersonnel mines in the Evros minefields, 10,002 (40 percent) had been
cleared between September 2003 and 10 April
2006.[25] In 2005, Greece had
planned to clear 3,035 antipersonnel landmines, but reported the clearance of
6,835, more than twice as many.[26] It was estimated that 5,814 antipersonnel mines and 3,853 antivehicle
mines would be lifted from the Evros minefield in
2006.[27]
The Defense General Staff estimated the annual cost of demining operations in
Greece at approximately €3.3 million (about US$4.1
million).[28]
Summary of Efforts to Comply with Article 5
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 Standing Committee meetings
in May 2006, Greece stated that, “according to the pace of progress so
far, Greece will complete its demining obligations by 2014, which is the
deadline posed by the Treaty, though with a high probability to complete them
earlier.”[29] In 2005, Greece
had stated that, “mine clearance is expected to be completed within 2011,
i.e. three years prior to the time limit set for our country by the Ottawa
Convention.”[30]
Demining
In 2005, five TENX teams worked on the Evros minefields. Another 10 teams
were deployed to other mine and ERW-affected areas, such as the Grammos and
Vitsi mountains in the northwest of Greece. Manual methods and mine detection
dogs are used for clearance and survey
operations.[31]
Identification of Mined Areas: Surveys and Assessments
In 2005, TENX surveyed 23 suspected areas covering 2,247,836 square meters in
various locations, but mainly in Grammos and Vitsi. The Army General Staff has
stated though, that no areas were released as a result of survey. Although
Landmine Monitor reported previously that in 2004, TENX had surveyed 808,169
square meters of suspected land and released 379,590 square meters to the
public; this area appears to have been released by
clearance.[32]
Marking and Fencing
Minefields along the Evros River have perimeters that are double-fenced and
therefore exceed NATO standards. In addition, in 2005 and early 2006, Greece
reinforced existing fences with 10 kilometers of barbed wire in order to prevent
illegal immigrants cutting fences and passing
through.[33] In other parts of
Greece, mine/ERW-suspected areas are said to be fenced off and to pose no danger
to the population.[34]
During survey of mined areas prior to clearance, TENX maintains the marking
of those areas with tape.[35]
Mine and ERW Clearance
In 2005, 6,835 antipersonnel mines were lifted from
Evros.[36] Officials declared that
“standard” antivehicle mines, without antihandling devices, are used
in most cases to replace the antipersonnel
mines.[37] However, depending on
the Ministry of Defense operational and defense planning, a few minefields have
been totally cleared.[38] Clearance
of antipersonnel mines in the Evros minefields started in September 2003,
immediately following ratification of the Mine Ban
Treaty.[39]
TENX also conducted clearance in other areas across Greece, but mainly in
Grammos and Vitsi in areas containing mines, booby-traps, UXO and other devices
dating back to World War II. In 2005, seven suspected areas covering 421,966
square meters were cleared, and 11 antipersonnel mines, three antivehicle mines
and 558 ERW were cleared and
destroyed.[40] The General Staff
stated that areas cleared in Grammos and Vitsi are mainly used for pasture and
leisure.[41]
In 2006, the process of re-checking minefields in the Bulgarian border area,
which had been cleared following the 1997 agreement with Bulgaria, was
completed. However, the Ministry of Defense noted that the wider area near the
border between Greece and Bulgaria still contains a number of mine/ERW-suspected
areas that are being surveyed and cleared by
TENX.[42]
On 14 June 2005, a TENX deminer was killed while disarming an M16
antipersonnel mine in the Evros
minefields.[43] An investigation
conducted by the Army General Staff and a military prosecutor concluded that the
accident happened due to negligence by the deminer. Demining standards or
procedures were not
amended.[44]
Funding and Assistance
In February 2006, Greece contributed €1.9 million ($2,365,310) for mine
action in Iraq through the International Reconstruction Fund Facility for Iraq
(IRFFI); the funds had been pledged in July
2005.[45] In 2004, Greece
contributed €1.9 million to demining operations in Iraq and
Lebanon.[46]
Landmine Casualties
At least seven people were killed and one other was severely injured in the
Evros minefields during 2005, including one deminer killed. This is a
significant decrease compared to 16 people killed and eight injured in
2004.[47]
On 4 April, a Mauritanian and a Tunisian were killed in Evros, and an Iraqi
was injured and received treatment in Didymoteichon hospital. On 28 May, two
Georgian men were killed in an Evros minefield while trying to enter Greece from
Turkey. On 14 June 2005, a Greek soldier was killed by a landmine during an
Evros mine clearance operation.[48] On 9 December 2005, two illegal immigrants were killed in a minefield in
Evros; their nationality is not
known.[49]
No new casualties were reported from January to April 2006.
Between 2001 and 2005, the 4th Army Corps, which is responsible for the Evros
area, recorded 47 landmine incidents in which 24 people were killed and 23 were
injured; of the injured, 17 were reportedly minor
injuries.[50] However, Landmine
Monitor recorded at least 67 casualties in the same period of time, including 47
killed and 20 injured, most of them were foreign
civilians.[51]
The Ministry of Defense estimated that, between 1987 and November 2004, 66
people were killed and 149 injured by mines on the Evros border with Turkey.
Reportedly, TENX recorded 47 military mine casualties (30 killed and 17
injured) from the start of its operations 52 years ago to the end of
2004.[52]
Survivor Assistance, Disability Policy and Practice
At the First Review Conference, held in Nairobi in November-December 2004,
Deputy Minister of National Defense Vasileios Michaloliakos stated that,
“At the national level and until all antipersonnel mines are cleared from
our northeastern border, Greece will continue to provide full medical care to
illegal immigrants wounded. Moreover, my country looks favorably into the
possibility of covering the expenses of prostheses and relevant training for
those innocent and unsuspecting
people....”[53] In May 2005,
Deputy Minister Michaloliakos stated that he had acted to obtain resources for
prostheses and psychological support for landmine
survivors.[54]
However, Landmine Monitor has found only one instance of these statements
being implemented. No information has been provided indicating that full
assistance has been made available in previous years to mine survivors.
In April 2006, the Chief of the Armed Forces, after intervention by the
Deputy Minister of Defense, gave orders to cover approximately €4,000
(some $5,000) in costs of prosthetic services for a man injured in the Evros
minefields in 2002.[55] Service
provision for a second person who was injured in 2002 was said to be under
discussion. This may be the first time a civilian mine survivor has received
this type of assistance in Greece, as the Landmine Monitor in-country researcher
has discovered no other cases in several years of inquiries.
In July 2006, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Defense General Staff
acknowledged that interministerial communication on survivor assistance remains
a key challenge. A meeting with the ministries of public order, justice,
defense, health and foreign affairs was scheduled to confirm procedures for
relevant ministries to follow to ensure treatment of survivors. Progress in
interministerial communication and thus the provision of care to survivors is
anticipated by September
2006.[56]
When submitting its Article 7 report for 2005, Greece did not include victim
assistance reported in voluntary Form J, giving details of mine survivor
assistance. There is little official information on mine casualties and
services available for survivors, considering the significant number of mine
casualties each year. The situation remains as reported previously: Greece
maintains that mine survivors receive full rehabilitative assistance, including
prosthetic services, and that all expenses are covered through the national
health system, whilst Landmine Monitor has found no evidence of funding for the
provision and repair of prostheses, or for long-term care and rehabilitation.
Emergency medical care is provided free of
charge.[57]
Mine casualties in the southern part of the Evros border area are usually
treated at Alexandroupolis University Hospital, and in the central and northern
regions at Didymoteichon General and Army Hospitals. Defense medical personnel
provide immediate medical assistance and casualties are evacuated from the
minefield by TENX.[58]
In June 2005, discussions between the Landmine Monitor researcher and the
General Secretary of the Ministry of Public Order took place regarding the
granting of humanitarian status for mine survivors, who are mostly asylum
seekers or illegal immigrants. In September 2005, the Ministry of Public Order
began a review of the files of eight landmine survivors requesting refugee
status.[59] One of these survivors,
from Burundi, was granted asylum in early 2006 after appealing against the
refusal of his first application; however, he was refused a disability
pension.[60] No other outcome has
been reported as of June 2006.
Greece has a law that protects the rights of people with disabilities and
ensures their inclusion in society. The Ministry of Welfare is responsible for
protecting them and the deputy ombudsman for social welfare is responsible for
complaints related to people with special needs, especially related to
employment, social security and transportation. However, interpretation of the
law is unclear. In 2005, the deputy ombudsman reported that nearly 60 percent
of people with disabilities had been not been able to benefit from the
affirmative action employment policies or had not been informed adequately about
the documents needed to receive benefits under the law. The deputy ombudsman
stated that unemployment was the greatest social problem for people with
disabilities and recommended that the government create new legislation or amend
existing laws.[61]
[1] Interview with Lt. Col.
Vassilis Makris, Defense Policy Directorate, International Law Section, Hellenic
National Defense General Staff, Athens, 13 May 2005. [2] Article 7 Report, Form A, dated
30 April 2006. The report reads: “The Ottawa Convention was sanctioned
(or promulgated) by Greece with Parliament Law 2999 of April 08, 2002 (Official
Government Gazette issue #71) and became part of the internal Greek
legislation.” Further, it reports that penal sanctions for treaty
violations are included in articles 53, 55, and 56 of the Military Penal Code,
and articles 141 and 142 of the Penal Code. In addition, “Any action
prohibited by the Convention committed either by a member of the military or a
civilian could also consist a breach of Parliament Law 2168 of Sept. 03, 1993
regarding ‘the legal use and transfer of weapons, ammunition and explosive
ordnance.’” Crimes under Law 2168 and the Penal Code are punishable
as misdemeanors, and crimes under the Military Penal Code are punishable as
misdemeanors or felonies, depending on the circumstances. [3] Greece previously submitted
Article 7 reports on 6 May 2005 (for calendar year 2004) and 7 July 2004
(reporting period not stated). Both reports were submitted in a paragraph
format, not the standard format in widespread use by States Parties. [4] Interview with Lt. Col.
Vassilis Makris, Defence General Staff, Athens, 29 March 2006. [5] Greece has stated, “Upon
ratification of the Ottawa Convention, there were not any anti-personnel mine
production facilities whatsoever in Greece.” Article 7 Report, Form F,
dated 30 April 2006. [6] Most recently, Article 7
Report, Form B, dated 30 April 2006. However, Article 7 Report, 7 July 2004,
lists a stockpile total of 1,565,532. [7] Response to draft Landmine
Monitor report by Lt. Col. Vassilis Makris, Defense General Staff, Athens,
received 10 June 2006. [8] Article 7 Report, Form F, dated
30 April 2006. [9] Interview with Lt. Col.
Vassilis Makris, Defense General Staff, Athens, 29 March 2006. [10] Email from Lt. Col. Vassilis
Makris, Defense General Staff, 10 May 2006. [11] Article 7 Report, Form D,
dated 30 April 2006; Article 7 Report, para. 2, 6 May 2005; Article 7 Report,
para. 2, 7 July 2004. [12 ] Landmine Monitor (HRW)
interview with Greek delegation at Standing Committee meetings, Geneva, 16 June
2005. [13] Response to draft Landmine
Monitor report by Lt. Col. Vassilis Makris, Defense General Staff, Athens,
received 10 June 2006. [14] Article 7 Report, p. 2, 7
July 2004; verbal note from Ministry of Foreign Affairs to UN Secretary-General,
New York, 23 June 2004. Lt. Col. Vassilis Makris stated that Greece uses only
“dedicated antitank” mines; it does not use any landmine designed
for use against any vehicle lighter than a tank. However, the standard pressure
required to detonate the antitank mines in Evros is around 180 kilograms.
Emails from Lt. Col. Vassilis Makris, Defense General Staff, 30 May and 8 June
2006. [15] Email from Lt. Col. Vassilis
Makris, Defense General Staff, 14 September 2005. [16] Interview with Lt. Col.
Vassilis Makris, Defense General Staff, Athens, 30 March 2004, telephone
interview, 17 May 2006, and email, 19 May 2006; Amended Protocol II Article 13
Report, Form B, 13 December 2005. [17] See Landmine Monitor
Report 2004, pp. 462-463. [18] See Landmine Monitor
Report 2005, p. 366; Landmine Monitor Report 2004, pp. 462-463. [19] Article 7 Report, Form C,
dated 30 April 2006; Article 7 Report, p. 1, 6 May 2005. [20] “Mine alert in flooded
Evros,” eKathimerini (Greek newspaper, English internet version), 8
March 2005; interview with Lt. Col. Vassilis Makris, Defense General Staff,
Athens, 29 March 2006, telephone interview, 17 May 2006, and email, 19 May
2006. [21] Email from Lt. Col. Vassilis
Makris, Defense General Staff, 19 May 2006. [22] Interview with Lt. Col.
Vassilis Makris, Defense General Staff, Athens, 13 May 2005, and telephone
interview on 17 May 2006. [23 ] Telephone interview with
Lt. Col. Vassilis Makris, Defense General Staff, 17 May 2006; see Landmine
Monitor Report 2004, p. 463. [24] Statement by Greece,
Standing Committee on Mine Clearance, Mine Risk Education and Mine Action
Technologies, Geneva, 10 May 2006. [25] Article 7 Report, Forms C
and G, dated 30 April 2006. [26] Email from Lt. Col. Vassilis
Makris, Defense General Staff, 25 May 2006. [27] Interview with Lt. Col.
Vassilis Makris, Defense General Staff, Athens, 29 March 2006. [28] See Landmine Monitor
Report 2005, p. 368. Average exchange rate for 2005: €1 = US$1.2449,
used throughout this report. US Federal Reserve, “List of Exchange Rates
(Annual),” 3 January 2006. [29] Statement by Greece,
Standing Committee on Mine Clearance, Mine Risk Education and Mine Action
Technologies, Geneva, 10 May 2006. [30] Article 7 Report, 6 May
2005, p. 1. [31] Telephone interview with Lt.
Col. Vassilis Makris, Defense General Staff, Athens, 17 May 2006. [32] Email from Lt. Col. Vassilis
Makris, Defense General Staff, 18 June 2005. [33] Article 7 Report, para. 2, 6
May 2005; interview with Lt. Col. Vassilis Makris, Defense General Staff,
Athens, 29 March 2006, and telephone interview, 17 May 2006. [34] Interview with Lt. Col.
Vassilis Makris, Defense General Staff, 30 March 2004, telephone interview, 17
May 2006, and email, 19 May 2006; Amended Protocol II Article 13 Report, Form B,
13 December 2005. [35] Email from Lt. Col. Vassilis
Makris, Defense General Staff, Athens, 26 May 2006. [36] Email from Lt. Col. Vassilis
Makris, Defense General Staff, Athens, 25 May 2006. [37] However, not every
antipersonnel landmine is replaced by an antivehicle mine. Email from Lt. Col.
Vassilis Makris, Defense General Staff, 30 May 2006. [38] Telephone interview with Lt.
Col. Vassilis Makris, Defense General Staff, 17 May 2006. [39] Email from Lt. Col. Vassilis
Makris, Defense General Staff, 18 June 2005. [40] Email from Lt. Col. Vassilis
Makris, Defense General Staff, 26 May 2006. [41] Telephone interview with Lt.
Col. Vassilis Makris, Defense General Staff, 17 May 2006. [42] Interview with Lt. Col.
Vassilis Makris, Defense General Staff, Athens, 13 May 2006, and email, 19 May
2006. [43] “Greek soldier killed
during demining operation near Turkish border,” Associated Press
(Athens), 14 June 2005. [44] Telephone interview with Lt.
Col. Vassilis Makris, Defense General Staff, 17 May 2006. [45] IRFFI, “Pledges made
to IRFFI and Iraqi reconstruction at the Expanded Donor Meeting of IRFFI,”
18 July 2005; UN Development Group Iraq Trust Fund, “Newsletter,”
January 2006, p. 1. [46] See Landmine Monitor
Report 2005, p. 368. [47] Ibid. [48] Ibid. [49] “Land Mine
deaths,” eKathimerini, 10 December 2005. [50] Interview with Lt. Col.
Vassilis Makris, Defense General Staff, Athens, 29 March 2006. [51] Landmine Monitor analysis of
2001-2005 casualty data reported in the media, as of 5 June 2006. The collation
of data from media reports may well under-represent the true number of
casualties. See Landmine Monitor Report 2004, p. 465. [52] See Landmine Monitor
Report 2005, p. 368. [53] Statement by V.I.
Michaloliakos, Deputy Minister of National Defense, First Review Conference,
Nairobi, 29 November-3 December 2004. [54] See Landmine Monitor
Report 2005, p. 369. [55] Telephone interview with
Cdr. Theodoros Grivas, Orthopedic Surgeon, General Army Staff Headquarters,
Athens, 20 April 2006. [56] Email from Stelios
Zachariou, Special Scientific Advisor, D1 Directorate, Ministry of Foreign
Affairs, Athens, 9 July 2006. [57] See Landmine Monitor
Report 2005, p. 369; Landmine Monitor Report 2004, pp. 465-466. [58] See Landmine Monitor
Report 2004, pp. 465-466. [59] See Landmine Monitor
Report 2005, p. 369. [60] Louisa O’Brien,
“Purging Greece of land mine scourge,” eKathimerini, 1 March
2006. [61] US Department of State,
“Country Reports on Human Rights Practices-2005: Greece,” Washington
DC, 8 March 2006.
About Us
Our Research Products