Tell Europe what you think about their firearms proposals

Follow this link to provide feedback to the European Commission on its proposals for changing firearms law. In the boxes for completing your details, in the first box "Representing" choose "citizen" if you are writing as an individual, "company" if you represent a trade interest and "Non-governmental organisation" if you are responding for a club or association.

In the main feedback box we suggest the following text:

I support evidence based actions to stop the flow of illegal weapons, so long as these are effective, proportionate and based on the principles of better regulation.

I have concerns about the proposals which may have damaging unintended consequences and hope that the Commission will fulfil its pledge not to harm the legitimate use of sporting firearms for hunting. There are some 10 million lawful users of firearms in the EU and there is no evidence to suggest that further controls on lawful possession and use are likely to be of any benefit in the fight against terrorism. In particular I am concerned about the practicality and proportionality of the following proposals;

• A five year ceiling on certificate life: It is appropriate risk assessment and monitoring, not certificate length, which delivers public safety. It should be up to Member States to determine an appropriate length for certificate life given their risk management and monitoring processes.


• Standard medical tests: It is important for there to be a medical component in the license approval process, but this should not require standardised testing, which could simply lead to burdensome, non-risk based examinations which would not provide additional benefits to public safety. Member States must be enabled to determine the correct approach based on wider risk management and monitoring processes.


• Under 18s: The proposed text is highly likely to harm legitimate shooting as it creates legal uncertainty and restricts opportunities for young persons to be introduced to hunting. A return to the existing wording of the Directive would deal with this.


• Humane dispatch: I am concerned that the proposed amendments would ban pistol ammunition used for humane dispatch of wounded animals.


• Deactivation and Blank firing replicas: I am concerned that your proposals, could affect blank firing replicas which are used in the UK for dog training. Dangers from these can be managed through specifications for their construction rather than a ban. I believe that the EU should adopt the UK deactivation standard.


• Semi-automatic rifles: In the UK .22 rim-fire rifles are an essential pest control tool. If the amendments are only designed to affect large calibre military style weapons I trust that small calibre sporting rifles will be excluded.