Rules on export and import authorisations and transit measures for firearms

Summary:

Regulation (EU) No 258/2012 lays down procedural rules at EU level for export, import and transit of firearms, their parts and components and ammunition. Its overall strategic objective is to reduce the risk of illicit trafficking in firearms for civilian use by ensuring coherence across EU Member States with regard to rules on external trade. The regulation is part of an overall legal and operational framework intended to prevent, detect, investigate and prosecute firearms trafficking. In this regard, the regulation implements Article 10 of the United Nations (UN) Firearms Protocol, a key international agreement adopted in 2001 and ratified by the EU, to ensure firearms traceability.

Neither the legislative proposal reviewing the regulation, mentioned in the 2021 Commission work programme, nor the impact assessment are available yet. However, the 2017 Commission evaluation of the regulation had already found scope to address a number of shortcomings. Based on this evaluation, the Commission established that these shortcomings were mainly derived from a lack of clarity in certain parts of the regulation, and legal mismatches generating security risks. The review of Regulation (EU) No 258/2012 also aims to align the regulation's scope with that of Directive (EU) 2021/555 (the 'Firearms Directive'), already revised, and Council Common Position 2008/944/CFSP (as amended), in order to close the gaps between diverging procedures – in particular, gaps concerning diverging import procedures for convertible alarm and signal weapons, and semi-finished unmarked essential components – which cause the smuggling of these weapons and components to prevail.

Further information:

This briefing is one in a series of implementation appraisals produced by the European Parliamentary Research Service (EPRS) on the operation of existing EU legislation in practice.

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