The Council of the EU and the European Parliament reached a preliminary agreement on updated rules for the import, export and transit of firearms.
This is stated on the website of the Council of the EU.
The new rules include an improved weapon tracking system. The draft law should close loopholes for illegal arms trade and prevent their distribution among civilians. At the same time, the rules do not prevent trade and transfers of weapons used for legal purposes.
The draft law provides for the proper registration of firearms, defines the role of licensing authorities and should improve cooperation between law enforcement authorities (in particular, customs) and licensing authorities. The draft law is also aimed at systematizing the collection of data on the international movement of firearms, including confiscated ones.
The restrictions will not apply to military or police weapons. It is expected that all EU member states will have to implement these restrictions within four years of their entry into force, i.e. by 2028.
- An estimated 35 million illegal firearms were held by civilians in the EU in 2017. This represents 56% of the total number of firearms in the EU.