The European Commission has unveiled a proposal for a directive aimed at putting a stop to firearms trafficking and related crimes across the European Union. This is the first legislative step under the EU’s internal security strategy, ProtectEU.
Illegal firearms are a “serious threat” to public safety, the Commission said after its Thursday college meeting. The weapons fuel terrorism, organized crime, gang violence, and other major offenses. Technological developments, such as 3D printing, along with increasing threats from beyond EU borders, have made the risks even more acute.
“In the current geopolitical context, with rapidly evolving security threats, the EU must be fully prepared to anticipate and tackle both existing and emerging risks,” said Henna Virkkunen, the commission vice-president at Thursday’s press conference. “Illegal firearms represent a serious danger to our citizens, increasingly amplified by new technologies and cross-border networks. With this initiative, we will establish the necessary legal framework to close gaps between different national systems, exploited by criminals and terrorists, and better protect EU citizens,” she added. The directive presented targets intentional acts involving illegal firearms, while fully preserving legitimate activities by authorized dealers, the industry, and private citizens.
Evolution of the security threats in the EU
Currently, there are significant differences across the EU defines and punishes firearms-related crimes. This creates a fragmented legal landscape. The new directive introduces harmonised EU-wide definitions and sanctions covering trafficking, manufacturing, or possession of illegal firearms, essential components, and ammunition.
The legislation defines the illicit falsification, removal, or alteration of mandatory markings that uniquely identify firearms and their components. It also marks the illegal creation, possession, or dissemination of 3D-printable firearm designs. The latter pose a growing threat to the EU.
You might be interested
Member states would have to impose minimum sentences of at least two years for the creation, acquisition, possession, or distribution of 3D firearm plans. Possession of illegal firearms or ammunition could earn the perpetrators five-year sentences; trafficking or illegal manufacturing, eight years. The executive’s goal is to make investigations and prosecutions more effective and to strengthen law enforcement capabilities. All in all, it should offer better protection to EU citizens from the dangers that illicit firearms pose.
Waiting for the Council
The proposal also strengthens cross-border cooperation and improves data collection. Each member state would have to establish a National Firearms Contact Point to facilitate operational collaboration, trace and seize trafficked weapons, gather essential data for threat assessments, and coordinate with international partners. A standardized dataset would record details of seized firearms, including type and model, developed in collaboration with industry operators. This will help authorities track trends, such as the entry of decommissioned firearms from conflict zones, and support targeted interventions to prevent proliferation.
In the current geopolitical context, with rapidly evolving security threats, the EU must be fully prepared to anticipate and tackle both existing and emerging risks. — Henna Virkkunen, EU Commission Vice-President
The 27 would also be required to report statistics on firearms-related crimes to the Commission every five years, covering seizures, investigations, prosecutions, convictions, and sanctions imposed. By providing comparable data across the EU, the directive aims to improve monitoring, support informed policymaking, and raise public awareness.
The European Commission will now work closely with the European Parliament and the Council to secure a rapid agreement on the proposal.
