EU ramps up efforts against illicit arms trade

The European Commission has proposed new EU-wide regulations aimed at effectively combating trafficking and other firearms-related offenses.

The proposal will help to harmonise rules and efforts across EU countries, News.Az reports, citing the European Commission.

It will also improve the effectiveness of law enforcement in addressing firearms-related crimes, by

- introducing EU-wide common definitions of firearms offences and penalties – covering everything from trafficking, to falsifying mandatory markings, to the illicit use of blueprints for 3D printing of firearms

- supporting stronger cooperation between EU countries – each country will have to establish a National Firearms Focal Point to coordinate this cross-border cooperation

- improving the collection and use of data – including establishing a dataset to register seized firearms, and requiring EU countries to gather and share data related to firearms offences every five years.

This new proposal is the first to be adopted under the European internal security strategy, ProtectEU. It will make investigations and prosecutions more effective and reinforce law enforcement's ability to respond to emerging threats, which will in turn help to better protect citizens. 

News.Az 

By Ulviyya Salmanli