EU Warns Galamsey Is Undermining Development Investments in Ghana

The European Union has warned that illegal mining is directly threatening the returns on its development investments in Ghana, eroding gains in agriculture, water and sanitation, security and forest protection, and forcing the bloc to abandon its long-standing reluctance to engage politically with the issue.

Jonas Claes, Deputy Head of the EU Delegation to Ghana, made the remarks at the launch of three baseline studies under the Gold for Good initiative in Accra this week. He said the EU had deliberately avoided the galamsey issue three to four years ago, viewing it as politically risky and too complex. That position has changed, he said, because illegal mining now undermines the EU's own programming and its partnership with Ghana.

"The EU spends sizeable programming funds towards sustainable agriculture, water sanitation, security and reforestation, all of which are gravely undermined by illegal mining practices," Claes said . "Illegal mining is not only detrimental to the people of Ghana, but it also directly undermines EU interests and the EU-Ghana partnership."

From Reluctance to Engagement

Claes disclosed that the EU has committed €3 million to the Gold for Good project, implemented by the French civil society organisation Coginta, as part of a broader engagement on responsible artisanal and small-scale mining . He also noted that the EU Security and Defence Initiative has provided support to strengthen the capabilities of Ghanaian military personnel involved in operations against illegal mining .

The EU's shift reflects a growing recognition that galamsey's environmental damage is not confined to Ghana's borders. Claes commended the Ghanaian government for recent steps including the revocation of the Legislative Instrument that permitted mining in forest reserves and the establishment of the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS), but cautioned that progress would be judged by outcomes.

"Progress will ultimately be evaluated however on the curbing of Galamsey activity, and — above all — the quality of Ghana's water bodies and food produce," he said .

Security Dimensions in the North

Coginta Ghana Country Director Rev. Fr. Dr Clement Aapengnuo used the occasion to call for stronger natural resource governance and attention to the security risks associated with artisanal mining, particularly in northern Ghana. He warned that how natural resources are managed has far-reaching implications for local development, livelihoods and social cohesion, and that responsible management is essential to sustaining peace .

A Crisis With Measurable Costs

The EU's concern is grounded in documented environmental damage. Illegal mining has affected 44 of Ghana's 288 forest reserves, destroying approximately 8,900 hectares—an area equivalent to 12,500 football fields—according to Lands Minister Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah . Major rivers including the Pra, Birim, Ankobra and Offin have been heavily polluted, threatening water supplies for millions and increasing treatment costs for Ghana Water Limited .

The cocoa sector, a key EU import, has also been affected. Ghana's Cocoa Board has projected production could fall by at least 16 percent in the 2026/27 season, citing illegal mining among other factors, and the 2026 Cocoa Board Act designated all cocoa farms as protected areas in response to the threat .

The Gold for Good baseline studies launched this week are intended to inform the design of the EU-funded project, which aims to contribute to a mining sector that is "lawful, environmentally responsible, socially inclusive, and economically beneficial to communities," .