WIREDGOV

The Commission yesterday decided to refer Luxembourg to the Court of Justice of the European Union for failing to notify the national measures necessary to transpose EU rules on the acquisition and possession of firearms. The Commission has also decided to request the Court to order the payment of financial penalties.

The Firearms Directive (Directive (EU) 2021/555) sets common minimum standards on the acquisition, possession, and commercial exchange of civilian firearms, for example firearms used for sport shooting and hunting. The rules allow for the lawful use and movement of firearms while preventing firearms from falling into the wrong hands, therefore helping to break the business models of criminals and combat organised crime.

Yesterday's referral covers a set of provisions introduced in the 2017 revision of the directive that Member States were required to transpose by 14 September 2018. These include notably new rules on the activities of dealers and brokers, changes to the rules on marking and stricter rules concerning the most dangerous firearms. These also include an update on the European Firearms Pass, rules affecting some alarm and signal weapons as well as salute and acoustic weapons, which could easily be converted into lethal firearms, and new rules on deactivated firearms.

The Commission launched this infringement procedure against Luxembourg in November 2018 by sending a letter of formal notice and followed up with a reasoned opinion in July 2019. To date, Luxembourg still has not notified the Commission of the full transposition of the Directive into its national law.

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