European Union Ambassador to Ghana Rune Skinnebach has reaffirmed the EU’s commitment to supporting Ghana’s efforts to combat illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey.
Speaking on the AM Show on JoyNews, Mr. Skinnebach said the EU remains a long-standing partner ready to assist Ghana in addressing the environmental and economic challenges caused by illegal mining.
“I think, first of all, I want to reiterate that we, as a longstanding partner to Ghana, stand here ready to support. At the same time, it is clear that, for example, with galamsey, the moment the pollution from galamsey affects the vegetables that Ghana is trying to export to the EU, there will be dire consequences,” he said.
The Ambassador warned that Ghana risks losing access to European markets if pollution from illegal mining contaminates agricultural exports.
“It’s not that we are against Ghana; it’s simply that we do not want Ghanaian consumers, and likewise European consumers, to eat sweet potatoes with mercury residues in them. So, there will be a stop in the rest of the export to the EU, which is something Ghana doesn’t want to see, and we don’t want to see it either. But we need to protect our people—that’s our role,” he explained.
Mr. Skinnebach noted that while the EU is ready to support Ghana, the country must take decisive political and institutional steps to strengthen its regulatory framework and environmental monitoring systems.
“There will be elements or scenarios that we want to avoid, and that is where we are ready to step in and help. How can we help? Well, we can support political decisions—so, the moment there is a decision that requires the establishment of a regulatory framework, the moment there is the need for certain equipment to control development and assess pollution, that is where we can step in and assist,” he said.