Poland becomes fifth EU nation to quit Ottawa anti-personnel mine ban

The Polish Sejm has passed a law approving the country’s withdrawal from the Ottawa Convention, an international treaty that prohibits the use, production, stockpiling, and transfer of anti-personnel mines.

This development was confirmed in a statement published on the official website of the Polish parliament.

According to the statement, the law was supported by a substantial majority, with 413 deputies voting in favour, 15 opposing, and three abstaining. The legislation will now move to the Senate for further consideration, and if approved, it will be sent to the president for signature. The ultimate decision on Poland’s withdrawal rests with the head of state.

The initiative to propose this law was introduced by the Polish Cabinet. During the bill’s presentation, Minister of National Defence Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz emphasised the importance of the withdrawal for regional security, stating, “Poland cannot be bound by anything that hinders the defence of our homeland.”

The Ottawa Convention prohibits the military use of anti-personnel mines as well as their production, storage, and transfer. It also mandates the destruction of existing stockpiles. Poland originally signed the treaty on December 4, 1997, but only ratified it in 2012.

With this move, Poland becomes the fifth European Union country to announce its intention to leave the treaty.

Recent withdrawals from the Ottawa Convention in the region include Lithuania, which formally renounced its obligations on May 8. During a plenary session of the Seimas, Lithuania’s parliament, 107 deputies voted in favour of withdrawal, three abstained, and no deputies opposed the move.

Additionally, on April 1, Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo declared Finland’s planned withdrawal from the treaty, citing the need for greater flexibility in adapting to changes in the security environment. Orpo stated that leaving the convention would allow Helsinki to “prepare for changes in the security situation in a more versatile way.”

By Tamilla Hasanova