BETA


2022/0288(COD) Import, export and transit measures for firearms, their essential components and ammunition: implementation of Article 10 of the UN Firearms Protocol. Recast
Next event: Indicative plenary sitting date 2024/04/22

Progress: Awaiting Parliament's position in 1st reading

RoleCommitteeRapporteurShadows
Lead INTA LANGE Bernd (icon: S&D S&D) ASIMAKOPOULOU Anna-Michelle (icon: EPP EPP), PAET Urmas (icon: Renew Renew), GREGOROVÁ Markéta (icon: Verts/ALE Verts/ALE), LANCINI Danilo Oscar (icon: ID ID), BERLATO Sergio (icon: ECR ECR), MAUREL Emmanuel (icon: GUE/NGL GUE/NGL)
Committee Opinion AFET
Committee Opinion BUDG
Committee Opinion IMCO
Committee Opinion LIBE RADEV Emil (icon: EPP EPP) Cornelia ERNST (icon: GUE/NGL GUE/NGL), Assita KANKO (icon: ECR ECR), Diana RIBA I GINER (icon: Verts/ALE Verts/ALE), Thijs REUTEN (icon: S&D S&D), Patricia CHAGNON (icon: ID ID), Bergur Løkke RASMUSSEN (icon: RE RE)
Committee Recast Technique Opinion JURI ADAMOWICZ Magdalena (icon: EPP EPP)
Lead committee dossier:
Legal Basis:
RoP 110, RoP 57, TFEU 033, TFEU 207

Events

2024/04/22
   Indicative plenary sitting date
2024/03/20
   EP - Text agreed during interinstitutional negotiations
Documents
2024/03/20
   EP - Approval in committee of the text agreed at 1st reading interinstitutional negotiations
Documents
2024/03/18
   CSL - Coreper letter confirming interinstitutional agreement
2023/11/09
   EP - Committee decision to enter into interinstitutional negotiations confirmed by plenary (Rule 71)
2023/11/08
   EP - Committee decision to enter into interinstitutional negotiations announced in plenary (Rule 71)
2023/10/30
   EP - Committee report tabled for plenary, 1st reading
Details

The Committee on International Trade adopted the report by Bernd LANGE (S&D, DE) on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on import, export and transit measures for firearms, their essential components and ammunition, implementing Article 10 of the United Nations’ Protocol against the illicit manufacturing of and trafficking in firearms, their parts and components and ammunition, supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organised Crime (UN Firearms Protocol) (recast).

The committee responsible recommended that the European Parliament's position adopted at first reading under the ordinary legislative procedure should amend the proposal as follows:

Post-shipment checks

The Commission and competent authorities granting the export authorisation should carry out regular post-shipment checks, not only in case of suspicion but also randomly to ensure that the exported firearms, their essential components and ammunition are in line with the commitments made in the export certificate as set out in Annex IV.

Procedures at import and export

The amended text stressed that customs authorities should suspend the import of the goods for the customs procedure concerned, if they have certain reasonable doubts and in such a case, they should inform immediately, through electronic means the competent national authority, which should take the decision on the treatment of the goods. If the national competent authority does not reply to the customs authority within 20 working days (as opposed to 10 working days proposed by the Commission), then the customs authority should release the goods without delay.

Results of controls

Where customs authorities discover an illicit shipment of firearms, their components, ammunition or alarm and signal weapons, they should without delay and no later than two working days from that discovery inform the competent authority in the country of the customs authority thereof.

Statistics

To increase transparency, Member States should submit to the Commission via suitable confidential means, each year by 31 July, their national annual data for the preceding year on the number of authorisations and refusals and the reasons thereof, the quantities and values of actual imports and exports of firearms, their essential components and ammunition, by category and sub-category as listed in Annex I, by origin and by destination, the quantity and results of post-shipment checks at Member State level, the quantity and results of undertaken enforcement actions at Member State level.

Electronic licensing system

Members stressed that the Commission should without delay establish and maintain an electronic licensing system for import and export authorisations and decisions. Member States should take all necessary measures to speed up the implementation of the electronic licensing system.

Export certificate

The export certificate is to include at least the following information: (i) details of the importer including the signature, name and title of the importer; (ii) the date of issue of the export certificate; (iii) if applicable, a unique identifying number or contract number relating to the export certificate.

The Commission should be empowered to adopt delegated acts to establish a uniform export certificate.

Penalties

The report stressed that Member States should lay down the rules on penalties applicable to infringements of this Regulation. The penalties provided for should be effective, proportionate and dissuasive. Penalties for infringements of this Regulation may be linked to the global annual revenue of the undertaking concerned.

Annual implementation report

The Commission should, in consultation with the Firearms Imports and Exports Coordination Group, submit an annual report on the implementation and enforcement of this regulation. That annual report should be public. It should include information about the number of authorisations and refusals, the quantities and values of actual imports and exports of firearms, their essential components and ammunition, by category and sub-category as listed in Annex I, by origin and by destination at Union and at Member States level. It should also inform about penalties applied by the Member States and assess their effectiveness.

Documents
2023/10/24
   EP - Vote in committee, 1st reading
2023/10/24
   EP - Committee decision to open interinstitutional negotiations with report adopted in committee
2023/09/21
   EP - Committee opinion
Documents
2023/09/11
   EP - Specific opinion
Documents
2023/07/07
   EP - Amendments tabled in committee
Documents
2023/07/01
   EP - ADAMOWICZ Magdalena (EPP) appointed as rapporteur in JURI
2023/06/05
   EP - Committee draft report
Documents
2023/03/22
   EP - RADEV Emil (EPP) appointed as rapporteur in LIBE
2023/03/16
   EP - Referral to associated committees announced in Parliament
2023/01/31
   CZ_SENATE - Contribution
Documents
2022/11/30
   EP - LANGE Bernd (S&D) appointed as rapporteur in INTA
2022/11/09
   EP - Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading
2022/10/27
   EC - Document attached to the procedure
Documents
2022/10/27
   EC - Document attached to the procedure
2022/10/27
   EC - Document attached to the procedure
2022/10/27
   EC - Legislative proposal published
Details

PURPOSE: to update EU rules on the import, export and transit of firearms for civilian use.

PROPOSED ACT: Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council.

ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: the European Parliament decides in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure and on an equal footing with the Council.

BACKGROUND: it is estimated that 35 million illicit firearms were owned by civilians in the EU in 2017 (56% of the estimated total of firearms). According to those estimates, illicit firearms outnumber legally-held firearms in 12 EU Member States.

The 2021 Serious and Organised Crime Threat Assessment, published by the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol), pointed out that illegal firearms originate from within the EU but also from weapon stocks outside the EU. Trafficking of firearms into the EU from post-conflict countries is one of the main supply chains. Legacy weapons from the armed conflicts in the Western Balkans are the largest source for cross-border trafficking of firearms into the EU.

The proposal aims at combating and preventing firearms trafficking into and from the EU, including by addressing the risks at import and at export. At import, the two main risks are linked to the circumvention of unclear rules that enable the import of “semi-finished” firearms and components. These semi-finished firearms and components can be used to manufacture firearms at home, which are not correctly marked and registered. Furthermore, alarm and signal weapons that are convertible into lethal firearms are used all over the EU in criminal contexts.

At export, the main risk lies in the diversion of civilian firearms shipped to a non-EU country and being re-exported to countries subject to arms embargoes or sold to criminals and armed forces due to lack of controls and supervision before and after the export process.

This proposal also reflects the priorities of the Commission’s EU Strategy to tackle Organised Crime, which identifies firearms as a key enabler of the increasing violence by criminal groups. In addition, this proposal follows-up on the implementation of the 2020-2025 EU Action Plan on firearms trafficking.

CONTENT: the proposed Regulation lays down rules governing import and export authorisation, and import, export and transit measures for firearms, their essential components, ammunition and alarm and signal weapons for the purpose of implementing Article 10 of the United Nations Protocol against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, their Parts and Components and Ammunition, supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organised Crime.

This proposal aims to:

- enable coordinated controls between Member States and to ensure the traceability of firearms . Notably, the proposal provides for the proper recording of firearms-related information, responds to the need of improving the work of customs authorities in detection of illicit firearms, their components and ammunition, and limits the import of semi-finished firearms and essential components to arms dealers and brokers only, which is a key novelty;

- clarify the role of the licencing authorities . The proposal also aims to improve cooperation between law enforcement authorities (including customs) and licensing authorities, in both import and export, in order to improve the traceability of firearms, their components and ammunition;

- improve the systematic data collection on international movements of firearms for civilian use, as well as data on seized firearms. The proposal focuses on receiving annual data by Member States on the number of authorisations and refusals for authorisation as well as the quantities and values of civilian firearms imports and exports, by origin and destination;

- ensure a level playing field and to reduce the administrative burden placed on economic operators and firearms owners by creating a clear legal framework, focusing on digitalisation of procedures, and increasing the cooperation between customs and licensing authorities to facilitate the import, export and transit procedures.

State-to-State (i.e. government-to-government) transactions as well as direct sales to the armed forces, the police or public authorities will remain excluded from the scope of this initiative.

The updated rules will include:

- clear and common procedures for the import, export and transit of firearms for civilian use, their essential components, ammunitions and alarm and signal weapons;

- simplified import and export procedures for hunters, sport shooters and exhibitors;

- a new EU electronic licensing system for firearms manufacturers and dealers to apply for import and export authorisation, replacing the diverse, mostly paper-based national systems;

- strict technical standards for alarm and signal weapons, which are devices manufactured to only be able to fire blank, tear gas or irritant ammunition;

- stricter rules on semi-finished firearms components;

- an end-user certificate for the more dangerous firearms;

- strict checks on refusals to grant import or export authorisations.

Documents

  • Text agreed during interinstitutional negotiations: PE759.983
  • Approval in committee of the text agreed at 1st reading interinstitutional negotiations: PE759.983
  • Coreper letter confirming interinstitutional agreement: GEDA/A/(2024)001606
  • Committee report tabled for plenary, 1st reading: A9-0312/2023
  • Committee opinion: PE749.313
  • Specific opinion: PE752.959
  • Amendments tabled in committee: PE751.636
  • Committee draft report: PE748.984
  • Contribution: COM(2022)0480
  • Document attached to the procedure: SEC(2022)0330
  • Document attached to the procedure: EUR-Lex
  • Document attached to the procedure: SWD(2022)0298
  • Document attached to the procedure: EUR-Lex
  • Document attached to the procedure: SWD(2022)0299
  • Legislative proposal published: COM(2022)0480
  • Legislative proposal published: EUR-Lex
  • Document attached to the procedure: SEC(2022)0330
  • Document attached to the procedure: EUR-Lex SWD(2022)0298
  • Document attached to the procedure: EUR-Lex SWD(2022)0299
  • Committee draft report: PE748.984
  • Amendments tabled in committee: PE751.636
  • Specific opinion: PE752.959
  • Committee opinion: PE749.313
  • Coreper letter confirming interinstitutional agreement: GEDA/A/(2024)001606
  • Text agreed during interinstitutional negotiations: PE759.983
  • Contribution: COM(2022)0480
AmendmentsDossier
308 2022/0288(COD)
2023/07/07 INTA 207 amendments...
source: 751.636
2023/07/10 LIBE 101 amendments...
source: 751.576

History

(these mark the time of scraping, not the official date of the change)

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  • The Committee on International Trade adopted the report by Bernd LANGE (S&D, DE) on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on import, export and transit measures for firearms, their essential components and ammunition, implementing Article 10 of the United Nations’ Protocol against the illicit manufacturing of and trafficking in firearms, their parts and components and ammunition, supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organised Crime (UN Firearms Protocol) (recast).
  • The committee responsible recommended that the European Parliament's position adopted at first reading under the ordinary legislative procedure should amend the proposal as follows:
  • Post-shipment checks
  • The Commission and competent authorities granting the export authorisation should carry out regular post-shipment checks, not only in case of suspicion but also randomly to ensure that the exported firearms, their essential components and ammunition are in line with the commitments made in the export certificate as set out in Annex IV.
  • Procedures at import and export
  • The amended text stressed that customs authorities should suspend the import of the goods for the customs procedure concerned, if they have certain reasonable doubts and in such a case, they should inform immediately, through electronic means the competent national authority, which should take the decision on the treatment of the goods. If the national competent authority does not reply to the customs authority within 20 working days (as opposed to 10 working days proposed by the Commission), then the customs authority should release the goods without delay.
  • Results of controls
  • Where customs authorities discover an illicit shipment of firearms, their components, ammunition or alarm and signal weapons, they should without delay and no later than two working days from that discovery inform the competent authority in the country of the customs authority thereof.
  • Statistics
  • To increase transparency, Member States should submit to the Commission via suitable confidential means, each year by 31 July, their national annual data for the preceding year on the number of authorisations and refusals and the reasons thereof, the quantities and values of actual imports and exports of firearms, their essential components and ammunition, by category and sub-category as listed in Annex I, by origin and by destination, the quantity and results of post-shipment checks at Member State level, the quantity and results of undertaken enforcement actions at Member State level.
  • Electronic licensing system
  • Members stressed that the Commission should without delay establish and maintain an electronic licensing system for import and export authorisations and decisions. Member States should take all necessary measures to speed up the implementation of the electronic licensing system.
  • Export certificate
  • The export certificate is to include at least the following information: (i) details of the importer including the signature, name and title of the importer; (ii) the date of issue of the export certificate; (iii) if applicable, a unique identifying number or contract number relating to the export certificate.
  • The Commission should be empowered to adopt delegated acts to establish a uniform export certificate.
  • Penalties
  • The report stressed that Member States should lay down the rules on penalties applicable to infringements of this Regulation. The penalties provided for should be effective, proportionate and dissuasive. Penalties for infringements of this Regulation may be linked to the global annual revenue of the undertaking concerned.
  • Annual implementation report
  • The Commission should, in consultation with the Firearms Imports and Exports Coordination Group, submit an annual report on the implementation and enforcement of this regulation. That annual report should be public. It should include information about the number of authorisations and refusals, the quantities and values of actual imports and exports of firearms, their essential components and ammunition, by category and sub-category as listed in Annex I, by origin and by destination at Union and at Member States level. It should also inform about penalties applied by the Member States and assess their effectiveness.
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  • name: PAET Urmas group: Renew Europe group abbr: Renew
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  • name: MAUREL Emmanuel group: The Left group in the European Parliament - GUE/NGL abbr: GUE/NGL
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  • PURPOSE: to update EU rules on the import, export and transit of firearms for civilian use.
  • PROPOSED ACT: Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council.
  • ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: the European Parliament decides in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure and on an equal footing with the Council.
  • BACKGROUND: it is estimated that 35 million illicit firearms were owned by civilians in the EU in 2017 (56% of the estimated total of firearms). According to those estimates, illicit firearms outnumber legally-held firearms in 12 EU Member States.
  • The 2021 Serious and Organised Crime Threat Assessment, published by the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol), pointed out that illegal firearms originate from within the EU but also from weapon stocks outside the EU. Trafficking of firearms into the EU from post-conflict countries is one of the main supply chains. Legacy weapons from the armed conflicts in the Western Balkans are the largest source for cross-border trafficking of firearms into the EU.
  • The proposal aims at combating and preventing firearms trafficking into and from the EU, including by addressing the risks at import and at export. At import, the two main risks are linked to the circumvention of unclear rules that enable the import of “semi-finished” firearms and components. These semi-finished firearms and components can be used to manufacture firearms at home, which are not correctly marked and registered. Furthermore, alarm and signal weapons that are convertible into lethal firearms are used all over the EU in criminal contexts.
  • At export, the main risk lies in the diversion of civilian firearms shipped to a non-EU country and being re-exported to countries subject to arms embargoes or sold to criminals and armed forces due to lack of controls and supervision before and after the export process.
  • This proposal also reflects the priorities of the Commission’s EU Strategy to tackle Organised Crime, which identifies firearms as a key enabler of the increasing violence by criminal groups. In addition, this proposal follows-up on the implementation of the 2020-2025 EU Action Plan on firearms trafficking.
  • CONTENT: the proposed Regulation lays down rules governing import and export authorisation, and import, export and transit measures for firearms, their essential components, ammunition and alarm and signal weapons for the purpose of implementing Article 10 of the United Nations Protocol against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, their Parts and Components and Ammunition, supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organised Crime.
  • This proposal aims to:
  • - enable coordinated controls between Member States and to ensure the traceability of firearms . Notably, the proposal provides for the proper recording of firearms-related information, responds to the need of improving the work of customs authorities in detection of illicit firearms, their components and ammunition, and limits the import of semi-finished firearms and essential components to arms dealers and brokers only, which is a key novelty;
  • - clarify the role of the licencing authorities . The proposal also aims to improve cooperation between law enforcement authorities (including customs) and licensing authorities, in both import and export, in order to improve the traceability of firearms, their components and ammunition;
  • - improve the systematic data collection on international movements of firearms for civilian use, as well as data on seized firearms. The proposal focuses on receiving annual data by Member States on the number of authorisations and refusals for authorisation as well as the quantities and values of civilian firearms imports and exports, by origin and destination;
  • - ensure a level playing field and to reduce the administrative burden placed on economic operators and firearms owners by creating a clear legal framework, focusing on digitalisation of procedures, and increasing the cooperation between customs and licensing authorities to facilitate the import, export and transit procedures.
  • State-to-State (i.e. government-to-government) transactions as well as direct sales to the armed forces, the police or public authorities will remain excluded from the scope of this initiative.
  • The updated rules will include:
  • - clear and common procedures for the import, export and transit of firearms for civilian use, their essential components, ammunitions and alarm and signal weapons;
  • - simplified import and export procedures for hunters, sport shooters and exhibitors;
  • - a new EU electronic licensing system for firearms manufacturers and dealers to apply for import and export authorisation, replacing the diverse, mostly paper-based national systems;
  • - strict technical standards for alarm and signal weapons, which are devices manufactured to only be able to fire blank, tear gas or irritant ammunition;
  • - stricter rules on semi-finished firearms components;
  • - an end-user certificate for the more dangerous firearms;
  • - strict checks on refusals to grant import or export authorisations.
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