Examination of the European Commission’s Amended Directive on Firearms

Abstract

The research described in this paper, through reviewing issues of the weapons policy domain of the European Union, analyses the questions formulated by the European Council in relation to such new security challenges as the suppression of illegal acquisition of firearms, the increasing of security risks relating to the transport, import and export of civilian firearms in the European Union, the improvement of traceability of legally held firearms (hunting, sports, self-defence) and ensuring that deactivated firearms are rendered inoperable. Giving the professional analysis of the background of the directive on stricter firearms possession envisaged by the European Commission in 2015, the study seeks to highlight the need for EU action to tackle the new security challenges in the weapons possession policy.