European Union: Vote on the regulation and the resolution on antipersonnel landmines at the European Parliament

On Wednesday October, 25th the European Parliament voted on amendments on the proposal by the Commission for a new regulation regarding mine action and on a new European Parliament resolution, following the presentation by Emma Bonino of her report on EU mine action.

You can find the final versions of these texts (as voted by the European Parliament) on the European Union web site, http://www3.europarl.eu.int/omk/omnsapir.so/calendar?APP=PV2&LANGUE=EN under the date October, 25th.

Following the proposal of this regulation and this resolution, ICBL and especially European Campaigners had expressed their opinion on these texts, as one could notice many omissions in comparison to what was expected from a new legal basis for EU mine action.

Our efforts have been productive as many of our proposals for amendments were adopted by the European Parliament. Both texts have reached a much more concrete and precise level comparing with their first version.

Concerning the resolution, almost all the amendments proposed by ICBL were adopted by European parliamentarians, namely the need for more transparency and coordination (especially with NGOs) in funding, the necessity for Greece and Finland to ratify or accede to the Convention, the necessity for Member States to integrate the provisions of the Convention in national legislation and also to mention in national legislation anti-vehicle mines with handling devices that act like antipersonnel landmines, and to explicitly reject any use or assistance in using antipersonnel landmines in joint actions neither in the framework of future European Security and Defense Policy nor of NATO.

But we can regret that :

• as for the regulation, the resolution stresses the importance to intensify research efforts, as ICBL believes on the contrary that it is more relevant to improve already existing technologies or to develop accessible and affordable technology appropriate to the least developed and most mine-affected countries.
• the resolution doesn't propose that the accession to or ratification of the Convention forms part of the " acquis communautaire ".

This European Parliament resolution is a positive text, as it defines the Parliament position toward EU mine action and may influence the Commission and the Council decisions, but it won't have a constraining effect on EU mine action. The amendments proposed for the new regulation have a greater importance.

Concerning Bonino's report on mine action and the proposal for a regulation, many positive points may be noticed : this regulation stresses the necessity to destroy landmines stockpiles, the importance of working in coordination with NGOs and of considering mine action in all its terms, which includes victim assistance, social and economic rehabilitation and mine awareness. One point however remains uncertain : if the regulation as voted by the Parliament proposes a funding of 200 Million Euros for the period 2000-2006, it is not clear if this amount will be credited only for the specific budget line on mine action (not including funding for research and humanitarian emergency demining with ECHO), which would represent a real increase, as for the period 1992-1998 all activities relating to mine action were funded with 180 M Euro, or if this amount is going to represent the global resources for the three budget lines, with the risk in that case to have a large part of this funding spent on research and development. This point needs to be followed and clarified.

Furthermore, the proposal of a unique budget line for mine action ( plus one for research and another one for humanitarian emergency demining), directed by a Central Mine Action Unit, which would obviously make funding more transparent and clearer, may also make the attribution of these resources less flexible and less adapted to the real needs in the field.

Moreover, the regulation states that " scientific research should be intensified ", without taking into account any of our proposal which was to ask that research efforts be concentrated on the improvement of existing technology or the development of accessible and affordable technology appropriate to the least developed and most mine affected countries. But you all know that this issue is highly sensitive in the EU.

Now the amended regulation is going to be examined by the Commission, which can refuse some amendments, then the text revised by the Commission is going to be examined and possibly revised by the Council of the European Union ( that means by Member States). We are going to follow this in the forthcoming weeks, as the Council has the power to refuse many amendments or to add others. Indeed it is now important to concentrate our work toward the Commission and toward Member States.

For your information, you will find in another message the intervention by Chris Patten, Commissioner on External Relations DG, during the debate in the Parliament, as the Commission is the next step for the regulation !