Ten million square metres of land in six municipalities in Bosnia and Herzegovina have been cleared of landmines since August 2025 under an EU-funded demining project.
The work has been carried out through the project “EU Support to Land Release on Targeted Mine Suspected Areas in Bosnia and Herzegovina”, which has received a €10 million EU grant and is implemented by ITF Enhancing Human Security, the European External Action Service (EEAS) informed on Friday.
Landmines still “endanger lives and hold back local development” in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ambassador Luigi Soreca — Head of the EU Delegation and EU Special Representative in the country — said in the statement.
More than €50 million has been invested by the EU in mine action in Bosnia and Herzegovina since the late 1990s, including demining operations, support for mine victims and assistance to the Bosnia and Herzegovina Mine Action Centre (BHMAC), it said.
Where demining is taking place
About 1.6% of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s territory is still suspected to be contaminated with landmines, the statement said.
The current EU-funded project supports clearance work in Ilijaš, Ključ, Teslić, Hadžići, Pale and Drvar, and has been running since August 2025,.
The EU has provided equipment to BHMAC and civil protection authorities in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Republika Srpska, including metal detectors, drones, GPS systems, 19 off-road vehicles, and protective equipment and uniforms. The equipment is intended to help teams work in mountainous areas that are difficult to reach.
The statement also referred to a separate €10 million support package for the demining battalion of the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina, funded through the European Peace Facility, including 68 medical and transport vehicles and other equipment.
EUFOR — the European Union’s military operation in Bosnia and Herzegovina — supports demining through mentoring, mine risk education, and monitoring and quality control of clearance work.
