Photo: Sebastien Bertrand
The European Commission is recommending revisions to the Firearms Directives that govern the acquisition and possession of firearms within the EU. Britain’s leading shooting organisations have warned that changes could be detrimental to legitimate shooting sports.
At a press conference of the Justice and Home Affairs Council, Commissioner Avramopoulos of the European Commission said: “It is crucial to jointly tackle this very serious security threat that goes beyond national borders.” The commissioner also confirmed “a proposal to revise the existing Firearms Directive.”
Peter Glenser of the British Association of Shooting and Conservation (BASC) said: “BASC supports efforts to combat illegal trafficking of firearms, but this is a complex area of the law. The danger of reopening the directive is that amendments could be moved that would be damaging to legitimate shooting sports. These can be malicious and sponsored by those who wish to damage shooting. There can also be proposals which, through ignorance, damage legitimate shooting while trying to improve the law. BASC will be vigilant and ensure that legitimate shooting in the UK is not damaged by this move.”
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