The OSCE Secretariat bears no responsibility for the content of this document FSC.EMI/179/25 and circulates it without altering its content. The distribution by OSCE 3 June 2025 Conference Services of this document is without prejudice to OSCE decisions, as set out in documents agreed by OSCE participating States. ENGLISH only QUESTIONNAIRE ON ANTI-PERSONNEL MINES Response by Greece (May 2025)
Part I
1. Is your country a State Party to the Amended Protocol II on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Mines, Booby-Traps and Other Devices annexed to the 1980 Convention on Conventional Weapons (CCW)?
Yes.
If yes:
2. Please attach the most recent annual report submitted by your country in accordance with article 13 of the Amended Protocol or give the appropriate electronic address for the report.
Please find attached the most recent report submitted by Greece in accordance with article 13.
If no:
3. Is your country considering ratification/accession to the amended Protocol II?
Not Applicable.
4. What measures have been taken to prevent the indiscriminate use of mines, booby-traps and other devices?
Amended Protocol II has been ratified by law and has been incorporated in the internal Greek legislation. The Armed Forces have accordingly issued all the necessary orders, regulations and directives. Any violation or breach of the provisions of Amended Protocol II, would consist a grave disciplinary offence and a penal offence punishable by the Greek Penal Code and the Military Penal Code.
5. Would your country be interested in receiving assistance related to the implementation of this Protocol? If so, please describe.
No.
6. Does your country have the capacity to assist others related to this Protocol? If so, please describe.
(a) Yes, Greece has the capacity to provide know-how of demining to other countries on the following domains: 1/ Clearance techniques.
2/ Mines defuse means.
3/ Cooperation with civilian authorities, public information.
4/ Rescue of entrapped personnel in minefields.
5/ Cost accounting of work.
(b) The approval for cooperative actions, will be taken at the political level on a case by case basis, following the relevant application from the country which is interested in it. Part II
7. Has your country ratified or acceded to the 1997 Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti- personnel Mines and on their destruction?
Greece has ratified the above mentioned Convention. The Ottawa Convention (MBT) was sanctioned by Greece with Parliament Law 2999 of April 08, 2002 (Official Government Gazette issue #71) and became part of the internal Greek legislation. The Convention was ratified by Greece on 25 Sep. 2003 and came into force on 01-03-2004, according to article 17 para 2 of the Convention.
8. (a) If yes, please attach the most recent annual report submitted by your country in accordance with article 7 of the Convention or give the appropriate electronic address for the report.
Please find attached the most recent report submitted by Greece in accordance with article 7 of the Convention, of April 2025.
(b) If no, is your country considering ratification/accession to the Convention.
Not Applicable.
(c) Has your country adopted legislation to address the humanitarian objectives of the convention, or taken any specific measures regarding the use, production, storage, transfer and destruction of anti-personnel landmines? In case a moratorium has been introduced, what is its scope and duration and when was it introduced?
(a) Greece in order to implement the provisions of the convention has already demined all the APLMs of the minefields at the Greek-Turkish border along Evros River in the north east part of the country. (b) More specifically all APLMs have been taken out from the ground and in most cases have been replaced by anti-tank mines.
(c) This initiative has been completed by 20 July 09, 4 ½ years before the deadline of our conventional engagement.
(d) Since the beginning of the APLMs destruction program, 1.306.820 have been destroyed, as part of a total of 1.568.167 APLMs. 9. Does your country have any specific measures in place to provide assistance to victims?
Greece is participating in the Joint Action of the EU Member States to provide financial and technical assistance to landmine victims and affected countries.
10. Does your country require assistance in mine clearance, stockpile destruction, mine awareness and/or victim assistance? If so, please describe. No
11. Does your country have the capacity to assist others in mine action? If so, please describe.
In order to assist other in mine action, Greece has in full operational readiness a Battalion level structure which is manned with EOD technicians and specific equipment.
All relative official requests for demining assistance will be examined by Greek National Authorities and an official respond will be completed. QUESTIONNAIRE ON EXPLOSIVE REMNANTS OF WAR Response by Greece (May 2025)
1. Has your country notified the Depositary of its consent to be bound by the 2003 CCW Protocol V on Explosive Remnants of War (ERW) once it enters into force? Is your country considering doing so?
On 21st October 2014, Greece submitted to the Office of Legal Affairs of the United Nations in New York, its National Instrument of Ratification of the ‘’Protocol of the Explosive Remnants of War to the Convention on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons which may be deemed to the excessively injurious or to have indiscriminate effects’’, adopted in Geneva on 28 November 2003, for deposit with the Secretary General of the United Nations.
2. If yes, at what stage is the process?
In recent years, meetings are being held in regions which are contaminated with explosives – ammunitions remnants of war, among competent Staff of the Military Authorities, local authorities, mountaineering – hunting associations etc as well as ordinary citizens, presenting the progress in the clearance of UXO and providing instructions to prevent accidents.
3. Would your country be interested in receiving assistance in clearing or otherwise minimizing the risks and effects of ERW? If so, please describe. No. Greece at this stage has all proper resources in order to complete this mission, by its own.
4. Does your country have the capacity to assist others in clearing and minimizing the risks and effects of ERW? If so, please describe.
All relative official requests dealing with clearing and minimizing the risks and effects of ERW, will be examined by Greek National Authorities and an official response will be completed. PROTOCOL II ON PROHIBITIONS OR RESTRICTIONS ON THE USE OF MINES, BOOBY-TRAPS AND OTHER DEVICES AS AMENDED ON 3 MAY 1996 ANNEXED TO THE CONVENTION ON PROHIBITIONS OR RESTRICTIONS ON THE USE OF CERTAIN CONVENTIONAL WEAPONS WHICH MAY BE DEEMED TO BE EXCESSIVELY INJURIOUS OR TO HAVE INDISCRIMINATE EFFECTS (PROTOCOL II AS AMENDED ON 3 MAY 1996)
Annual Report in accordance with Article 13, paragraph 4
NAME OF HIGH CONTRACTING PARTY: HELLENIC REPUBLIC DATE OF SUBMISSION: 2025 NATIONAL POINT(S) OF CONTACT: a. MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS / D1 Directorate of International Organizations, tel.: +302103682262, +302103682238, fax. +302103682239 b. HELLENIC ARMY GENERAL STAFF/MILITARY ENGINEERS DIRECTORATE, tel.: +302106553740, Email: dmxd@army.gr
The information contained in this Report may be made available to other interested Parties, Organizations and the public. Form A Dissemination of information Article 13 / 4 / a “The High Contracting Parties shall provide annual reports to the Depositary … on …: (a) dissemination of information on this Protocol to their armed forces and to the civilian population;” Remark: High Contracting Party: HELLENIC REPUBLIC reporting for time period from Jan 01, 2024 to Dec 31, 2024
Information to the armed forces --NONE--
Information to the civilian population --NONE-- Form Β Mine clearance and rehabilitation programms Article 131ΛI b "The High Contracting Parties shall provide annual reports o the Depositary ... on (b) mine clearance and rehabilitation programs;"
Remark:
A huge ERW clearance programme is still under way in vast areas of Western Macedonia and Ipiros in the North-West part of the Hellenic Republic, in "suspect areas" containing Explosive Remnants of War dating from World War II and the 1946-1949 era. There are no properly defined minefields in this area and no maps, the number of dangerous devices to be removed is very large and the weather conditions are adverse for the most part of the year, resulting in the very slow progress of works. It is worth mentioning that the "suspect areas" to be cleared and secured in the mountains of Grammos and Vitsi alone, measure well over 40.000 hectares. — From 1th January until 31st December 2024, 409.650 m2 were cleared and secured in the above area.
Rehabilitation programmes
There are no mine victims (Note: All minefields along the border with Turkey in the Evros Province are clearly defined and marked, well above any standard established by Amended Protocol II and the relevant NATO STANAGs, since 20th July 2009 all antipersonnel mines have been removed). Form C Technical requirements and relevant information Article 13 / 4 / c “The High Contracting Parties shall provide annual reports to the Depositary … on …: (c) steps taken to meet technical requirements of this Protocol and any other relevant information pertaining thereto;”
Remark:
High Contracting Party: HELLENIC REPUBLIC reporting for time period from Jan 01, 2024 to Dec 31, 2024.
Technical requirements --NONE--
Any other relevant information --NONE-- Form D Legislation Article 13 / 4 / d “The High Contracting Parties shall provide annual reports to the Depositary … on …: (d) legislation related to this Protocol;”
Remark:
High Contracting Party: HELLENIC REPUBLIC reporting for time period from Jan 01, 2024 to Dec 31, 2024. Legislation --NONE-- Form E International technical information exchange, cooperation on mine clearance, technical cooperation and assistance Article 13 / 4 / e “The High Contracting Parties shall provide annual reports to the Depositary … on …: (e) measures taken on international technical information exchange, on international cooperation on mine clear- ance, and on technical cooperation and assistance;”
Remark:
High Contracting Party: HELLENIC REPUBLIC reporting for time period from Jan 01, 2024 to Dec 31, 2024.
International technical information exchange --NONE-- International cooperation and assistance --NONE-- Form F Other relevant matters Article 13 / 4 / f “The High Contracting Parties shall provide annual reports to the Depositary … on …: (f) other relevant matters”. Remark: High Contracting Party: HELLENIC REPUBLIC reporting for time period from Jan 01, 2024 to Dec 31, 2024. Other relevant matters The Hellenic Republic does not manufacture or import mines. Form G Information to the UN-database on mine clearance Article 11 para 2 “The High Contracting Parties shall provide information to the database on mine clearance established within the United Nations System, especially … on: - information concerning various means and technologies of mine clearance, and lists of experts, expert agencies or national points of contact on mine clearance”. Remark: High Contracting Party: HELLENIC REPUBLIC reporting for time period from Jan 01, 2024 to Dec 31, 2024. Means and technologies of mine clearance The Hellenic Army basically employs manual mine clearance. International practices and standards in mine clearance are followed. Lists of experts and expert agencies For details please contact the point of contact detailed below.
National points of contact on mine clearance Hellenic Army General Staff/Engineers Directorate, Stratopedo Papagou, Messogeion Av. 227, Cholargos, Greece 155 61. Email:dmxd@army.gr Tel: (+30) 2106555941 CONVENTION ON THE PROHIBITION OF THE USE, STOCKPILING, PRODUCTION AND TRANSFER OF ANTI-PERSONNEL MINES AND ON THEIR DESTRUCTION
Reporting Formats for Article 7
STATE PARTY: HELLENIC REPUBLIC DATE OF SUBMISSION 2025 HELLENIC NATIONAL DEFENSE GEN. STAFF , NATIONAL DEFENSE POLICY POINT OF CONTACT DIRECTORATE 0030210 6573025, FAX 0030210 6564324, e-mail sedm-div@hndgs.mil.gr (Organization, telephones, fax, email) (ONLY FOR THE PURPOSES OF CLARIFICATION) -2-
Form A National implementation measures
Article 7.1 "Each State Party shall report to the Secretary-General ... on: a) The national implementation measures referred to in Article 9."
Remark: In accordance with Article 9, "Each State Party shall take all appropriate legal, administrative and other measures, including the imposition of penal sanctions, to prevent and suppress any activity prohibited to a State Party under this Convention undertaken by persons or on territory under its jurisdiction or control".
State [Party]: HELLENIC REPUBLIC reporting for time period from Jan 01, 2024 to Dec 31, 2024 -3-
Measures Supplementary information (e.g., ef- fective date of implementation & text of legislation attached).
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. The Convention was ratified by Greece on 25 Sept. 2003 and entered into force on 01-03-2004 according to article 17 paragraph 2 of the Convention.
If a member of the Greek military commits any action that could be judged as prohibited by the Conven- tion, this would consist: (i) a grave disciplinary offense and (ii) a penal offense punishable under the provisions of the Greek Military Penal Code (MPC), namely insubordination (or disobedience) (art. 53) or breach of direct military order (art. 55) or breach of direct military order by negligence (art. 56), de- pending on the circumstances. For such an offense any member of the military can be brought before a military tribunal and a disciplinary board. The decision of the latter could even amount to the dismissal of the accused from the armed forces.
If a civilian commits an action prohibited by the Convention, this could consist, depending on the circum- stances, a breach of art. 141 of the Penal Code (PC). Art. 141 of the PC intends to prohibit and punish --VOID-- any action against the external relations, the international status and obligations of the Hellenic State. The same action is punished even if it is committed by negligence by art. 142 of the PC. These two articles belong to a special chapter of the Penal Code entitled ‘’treacherous acts against the State’’.
Any action prohibited by the Convention committed either by a member of the military or a civilian could also consist a breach of the provisions of Parliament Law 2168 of Sept. 03, 1993 regarding “the legal use and transfer of weapons, ammunition and explosive ordnance”. In such a case, the member of the military or the civilian would be prosecuted for both the breach of the provisions of Law 2168 and the Military Penal Code or the Penal Code, accordingly.
The above-mentioned crimes stipulated by Law 2168/03-09-1993 and the Penal Code are punishable as misdemeanors. The crimes stipulated by the Military Penal Code are punishable either as misde- meanors or felonies, depending on the circumstances. -4-
Form B Stockpiled anti-personnel mines
Article 7. 1 "Each State Party shall report to the Secretary-General ... on: b) The total of all stockpiled anti-personnel mines owned or possessed by it, or under its jurisdiction or control, to include a breakdown of the type, quantity and, if possible, lot numbers of each type of anti-personnel mine stockpiled."
State [Party]: HELLENIC REPUBLIC reporting for time period from Jan 01, 2024 to Dec 31, 2024
Type Quantity Lot # (if possible) Supplementary information
Μ2 80.623 --VOID-- --VOID-- DM 31 989 --VOID-- --VOID-- M 16 179.143 --VOID-- --VOID-- M 14 592 --VOID-- --VOID-- TOTAL 261.347 -5-
Form C Location of mined areas
Article 7.1 "Each State Party shall report to the Secretary-General ... on: c) To the extent possible, the location of all mined areas that contain, or are suspected to contain, anti-personnel mines under its jurisdiction or control, to include as much detail as possible regarding the type and quantity of each type of anti-personnel mine in each mined area and when they were emplaced."
State [Party]: HELLENIC REPUBLIC reporting for time period from Jan 01, 2024 to Dec 31, 2024
1. Areas that contain mines Location Type Quantity Date of Supplementary information emplacement 0 - - - - 0 - - - Total : 0 2. Areas suspected to contain mines Location Type Quantity Date of Supplementary information emplacement --VOID-- -6-
Form D APLMs retained or transferred
Article 7.1 "Each State Party shall report to the Secretary-General ... on: d) The types, quantities and, if possible, lot numbers of all anti-personnel mines retained or transferred for the development of and training in mine detection, mine clearance or mine destruction techniques, or transferred for the purpose of destruction, as well as the institutions authorized by a State Party to retain or transfer anti-personnel mines, in accordance with Article 3"
State [Party]: HELLENIC REPUBLIC reporting for time period from Jan 01, 2024 to Dec 31, 2024
1a. Compulsory: Retained for development of and training in (Article 3, para.1) Institution authorized by State Type Quantity Lot # (if possible) Supplementary information Party Various Engineer training --VOID-- APLMs have been retained under units in locations all over the Article 3 for training soldiers in Greece (under the intendance Μ 14 2.973 mine detection and clearance and of the Engineers General Di- DM 31 1.242 canine detection. rectorate of the Army General Staff) M 2 Α4 982 --VOID-- --VOID-- M 16 Α2 300 TOTAL 5.497
1b. Voluntary information (Action #54 Nairobi Action Plan) Objectives Activity / Project Supplementary information (Description of programs or activities, their objectives and progress, types of mines, time period if and when appropriate…)
“Information on the plans requiring the retention of mines for the develop- ment of and training in mine detection, mine clearance, or mine destruc- --VOID-- --VOID-- tion techniques and report on the actual use of retained mines and the re- sults of such use” -7-
Form D (continued)
2. Transferred for development of and training in (Article 3, para.1) Institution authorized by State Type Quantity Lot # (if possible) Supplementary information: Party e.g. transferred from, transferred to [See previous page, under --VOID-- --VOID-- --VOID-- All mines retained for training pur- para 1a] poses are kept in certain Army Engi- neers training-units and are not transferred between them or else- where. TOTAL --VOID-- --VOID--
3. Transferred for the purpose of destruction (Article 3, para.2) Institution authorized by State Type Quantity Lot # (if possible) Supplementary information: Party e.g. transferred from, transferred to APLM stockpiles transferred M2 85.841 For the purpose of destruc- to the Hellenic Defense Sys- tion, 106.073 ΑPLMs were tems S.A. from various stock- DM 31 - piles in Greece. transferred from the M16 20.232 warehouses of both the M14 - --VOID-- Hellenic Defence Systems company and the Military Units of the Hellenic Army Total : 106.073 General Staff to DEMIL – TECH company in Croatia. -8-
Form E Status of programs for conversion or de-commissioning of APM production facilities
Article 7.1 "Each State Party shall report to the Secretary-General ... on: e) The status of programs for the conversion or de-commissioning of anti-personnel mine production facilities."
State [Party]: HELLENIC REPUBLIC reporting for time period from Jan 01, 2024 to Dec 31, 2024
Indicate if to "convert" or "decom- Status (indicate if "in process" or Supplementary information mission" "completed") --VOID-- --VOID-- Upon ratification of the Ottawa Convention, there were not any anti-personnel mine production facili- --VOID-- --VOID-- ties whatsoever in Greece. -9-
Form F Status of programs for destruction of APMs
Article 7.1 "Each State Party shall report to the Secretary-General ... on: f) The status of programs for the destruction of anti-personnel mines in accordance with Articles 4 and 5, including details of the methods which will be used in destruction, the location of all destruction sites and the applicable safety and environmental standards to be observed."
State [Party]: HELLENIC REPUBLIC reporting for time period from Jan 01, 2024 to Dec 31, 2024
1. Status of programs for destruction of stockpiled APLMs (Article 4) Description of the status of programs including: Location of destruction sites Details of:
The facilities of Demil-Tech company in Croatia.
Applicable safety standards
Applicable environmental standards
2. Status of programs for destruction of APLMs in mined areas (Article 5) Description of the status of programs including: Location of destruction sites Details of:
All APLMs that had come out of the ground during the demining works in Evros have been de- Methods stroyed in situ for safety reasons. Applicable safety standards
Applicable environmental standards -10-
Form G APMs destroyed after entry into force
Article 7.1 "Each State Party shall report to the Secretary-General ... on: g) The types and quantities of all anti-personnel mines destroyed after the entry into force of this Convention for that State Party, to include a breakdown of the quantity of each type of anti-personnel mine destroyed, in accordance with Articles 4 and 5, re- spectively, along with, if possible, the lot numbers of each type anti-personnel mine in the case of destruction in accordance with Article 4"
State [Party]: HELLENIC REPUBLIC reporting for time period from Jan 01, 2024 to Dec 31, 2024
1. Destruction of stockpiled APLMs (Article 4) Type Quantity Lot # (if possi- Supplementary information ble) M2 69.378 DM 31 - --VOID-- During the reported period, 73.591 APMs were M16 4.213 destroyed at the facilities of the DEMIL-TECH company in Croatia M14 - TOTAL AMOUNT 73.591
2. Destruction of APMs in mined areas (Article 5) Type Quantity Supplementary information 0 - - 0 - TOTAL 0 -11-
Form H Technical characteristics of each type produced/owned or possessed Article 7.1 "Each State Party shall report to the Secretary-General ... on: h) The technical characteristics of each type of anti-personnel mine produced, to the extent known, and those currently owned or possessed by a State Party, giving, where reasonably possible, such categories of information as may facilitate identification and clearance of anti-personnel mines; at a minimum, this information shall include the dimensions, fusing, explosive content, metal- lic content, colour photographs and other information which may facilitate mine clearance"
State [Party]: HELLENIC REPUBLIC reporting for time period from Jan 01, 2024 to Dec 31, 2024 1. Technical characteristics of each APLM-type produced Type Dimensions Fusing Explosive content Metallic Colour Supplementary information content photo at- to facilitate mine clearance. type Grams tached --VOID-- --VOID-- --VOID-- --VOID-- -VOID- --VOID-- --VOID- --VOID-- - - 2. Technical characteristics of each APM-type currently owned or possessed Type Dimensions Fusing Explosive content Metallic Colour Supplementary information content photo at- to facilitate mine clearance. type Grams tached Μ 16 Η:14 cm pressure – pull ΤΝΤ 453 --VOID-- --VOID-- Jumping body cleared D:10 cm grms in the Evros Province. The other types of the stockpiled mines men- tioned in Form B have not been used and are safely kept away in special depositories. Μ2 H:15.87 pressure – pull ΤΝΤ 181,2 --VOID-- --VOID-- Jumping body. cm grms (See also suppl. info D:7.81 cm in the above cell) -12-
Form I Measures to provide warning to the population
Article 7.1 "Each State Party shall report to the Secretary-General ... on: i) The measures taken to provide an immediate and effective warning to the population in relation to all areas identified under paragraph 2 of Article 5."
Remark: In accordance with Article 5, para.2: "Each State Party shall make every effort to identify all areas under its jurisdiction or control in which anti-personnel mines are known or suspected to be emplaced and shall ensure as soon as possible that all anti-personnel mines in mined areas under its jurisdiction or control are perimeter-marked, monitored and protected by fencing or other means, to ensure the effective exclusion of civilians, until all anti-personnel mines contained therein have been destroyed. The marking shall at least be to the standards set out in the Protocol on Prohibi- tions or Restrictions on the Use of Mines, Booby-Traps and Other Devices, as amended on 3 May 1996, annexed to the Convention on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons Which May Be Deemed to Be Excessively Injurious or to Have Indiscriminate Ef- fects".
State [Party]: HELLENIC REPUBLIC reporting for time period from Jan 01, 2024 to Dec 31, 2024
[Narrative:]
All minefields along the border with Turkey in the Evros Province are clearly defined and marked, well above any standard established by Amended Pro- tocol II and the relevant NATO STANAGs and don’t include APLMs. All minefields have a double fence. Barbed wire was added to almost all the mine- fields of Evros. Mine casualties among illegal migrants trying to cross the border from Turkey are suffered from time to time because they are led to the border along river Evros at night and then instructed to ignore any mine fences and markings and walk into the Hellenic territory. Sometimes they are even aided in cutting the wire and led into minefields! Hellas offers, free of charge, health treatment through its National Health System to any person injured by landmines, irrespective of their legal status. -13-
Form J Other relevant matters
Remark: States Parties may use this form to report voluntarily on other relevant matters, including matters pertaining to compliance and implemen- tation not covered by the formal reporting requirements contained in Article 7. States Parties are encouraged to use this form to report on activities undertaken with respect to Article 6, and in particular to report on assistance provided for the care and rehabilitation, and social and economic reinte- gration, of mine victims.
State [Party]: HELLENIC REPUBLIC reporting for time period from Jan 01, 2024 to Dec 31, 2024
[Narrative / reference to other reports:]
VOID