Many countries have a weapons law that has for years been becoming increasingly restrictive (with every incident). It is estimated that there are ten million licensed weapons in Germany (in the hands of four million legal weapons owners) as opposed to more than twice as many illegal weapons. Nevertheless, the German police announced, just prior to the EU Weapons Directive, that they saw no need for further tightening, instead efforts should be made to ensure the current rules (for example, on secure storage) are respected. Experts have for years been pointing out, to no avail, that in the majority of crimes involving firearms (in Austrian crime statistics these account for a small fraction), the firearms were procured illegally.
Millions of sport shooters and hunters in Europe are increasingly restricted in the practising of their hobby. Licensing requirements for all types of ammunition, restrictions on reloading, high registration costs and compulsory training for retired police officers are seen as harassment. When the Weapons Directive was tightened, it was argued that it was necessary in order to ensure that weapons did not fall into the hands of criminals and that every weapon could be traced to its owner.
Whilst legal possession of a firearm is made ever more difficult, it is, however, very easy to obtain illegal weapons on the black market or over the Internet. As experience from the UK has shown, continual restrictions merely encourage the weapons black market and crime. Instead of finding reasonable levels of common minimum standards and enabling mutual recognition of weapons permits, they have overshot the mark.
- How does the Commission defend the tightening of the law on legal weapons ownership, when crimes are committed by criminals with illegal weapons? Is it conceivable that this may be reconsidered?
- What measures are used to prevent the tightening of the law leading to higher costs for owners of legal weapons and thus driving more people to illegal ownership?
- Do the EU restrictions aim, in the long term, for a ban on shooting sports and hunting?
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