Brussels (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – EU Council adopted new rules to improve firearms traceability, prevent trafficking, and streamline legitimate trade procedures across Europe.
The European Council approved updated European Union regulations on the import, export, and transit of firearms. The new rules aim to close loopholes manipulated for firearms trafficking while enabling legitimate trade and movement of firearms.
It is assessed that in 2017, civilians in the Europen Union held about 35 million illegal firearms, accounting for 56% of the calculated total number of firearms in circulation. The earlier firearms regulation, in effect since 2012, set out regulations governing the export, import, and transit of firearms, their parts and pieces, and ammunition.
What measures address firearms trafficking in updated eu regulations?
The updated regulation will improve the traceability of firearms for civilian usage, by harmonising approaches across the EU and enhancing collaboration between national authorities. They also present measures to ensure that lawfully manufactured firearms exported from the European Union are not shifted to the illegal market.
The new regulations also seek to make procedures easier and more efficient for legitimate users, such as sport shooters, hunters and exhibitors, by presenting harmonised and digitalised procedures. At the same time, they decrease administrative responsibilities for manufacturers and dealers while ensuring high-security standards.
