European Parliament approves gun control update

Source: Xinhua   2017-03-15 01:27:19

STRASBOURG, March 14 (Xinhua) -- The European Parliament here voted on Tuesday to update gun control laws in the European Union (EU) and close critical loopholes in existing legislation.

Stricter controls have been placed on firearms designed to fire blanks and inadequately deactivated weapons. As well, requirements for license issuances and renewals are to be required of all EU member states, with additional rules on information sharing.

The result of a provisional deal reached in December by the European Council and the European Parliament negotiators, the draft law was approved by 491 votes to 178, with 28 abstentions.

Blank-firing "acoustic" firearms, which can be easily converted to fire live ammunition, were used in the Charlie Hebdo attacks in Paris in 2015 and can currently be sold without authorization in some EU member states. Under the updated directive, they would be licensed under the same rules as live firing guns.

"The changes that we have now agreed on will close the loophole and be an important contribution to our security, whilst also respecting the rights of legal owners," explained Vicky Ford from the European Conservatives and Reformers group, who led the debate.

The revised directive also strengthens the rules on marking firearms and clarifies the status of "deactivated" weapons, with newly deactivated guns needing to be declared to national authorities.

Following pressure from Parliament, the EU Commission pledged to adopt, by the end of May 2017, revised deactivation standards and techniques for ensuring that deactivated firearms are rendered irreversibly inoperable.

There are also tighter controls on certain semi-automatic firearms when they are fitted with high capacity magazines and on automatic firearms that have been converted into semi-automatics. However, individuals who currently own these legally will be able to continue to do so, provided their own member state agrees.

The new rules also require that all information needed to trace and identify firearms be recorded in national data-filing systems and the exchange of information between member states must be improved.

"We have strengthened security in Europe without restricting the freedom of law-abiding citizens," said Anna Maria Corazza Bildt, European People's Party group negotiator on the Firearms Directive, commenting on the outcome of the vote.

"With this reform we want to ensure that the most dangerous weapons do not fall into the wrong hands by enhancing traceability and effective controls," said Nicola Danti (Italy) for the Socialists and Democrats group.

"This is a step in the right direction on gun control," declared Bodil Valero (Sweden) for the Greens/EFA group. "While we would have liked to have been able to secure sharper rules on medical background checks and regulation of large magazines, we are pleased to have closed some of the loopholes in the current legislation."

The draft law still requires a formal approval from the Council of the EU. Once the law has entered into force, EU member states will have 15 months to transpose the new rules into national law and 30 months to establish data systems for information related to tracing and identifying firearms.

Editor: yan
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European Parliament approves gun control update

Source: Xinhua 2017-03-15 01:27:19

STRASBOURG, March 14 (Xinhua) -- The European Parliament here voted on Tuesday to update gun control laws in the European Union (EU) and close critical loopholes in existing legislation.

Stricter controls have been placed on firearms designed to fire blanks and inadequately deactivated weapons. As well, requirements for license issuances and renewals are to be required of all EU member states, with additional rules on information sharing.

The result of a provisional deal reached in December by the European Council and the European Parliament negotiators, the draft law was approved by 491 votes to 178, with 28 abstentions.

Blank-firing "acoustic" firearms, which can be easily converted to fire live ammunition, were used in the Charlie Hebdo attacks in Paris in 2015 and can currently be sold without authorization in some EU member states. Under the updated directive, they would be licensed under the same rules as live firing guns.

"The changes that we have now agreed on will close the loophole and be an important contribution to our security, whilst also respecting the rights of legal owners," explained Vicky Ford from the European Conservatives and Reformers group, who led the debate.

The revised directive also strengthens the rules on marking firearms and clarifies the status of "deactivated" weapons, with newly deactivated guns needing to be declared to national authorities.

Following pressure from Parliament, the EU Commission pledged to adopt, by the end of May 2017, revised deactivation standards and techniques for ensuring that deactivated firearms are rendered irreversibly inoperable.

There are also tighter controls on certain semi-automatic firearms when they are fitted with high capacity magazines and on automatic firearms that have been converted into semi-automatics. However, individuals who currently own these legally will be able to continue to do so, provided their own member state agrees.

The new rules also require that all information needed to trace and identify firearms be recorded in national data-filing systems and the exchange of information between member states must be improved.

"We have strengthened security in Europe without restricting the freedom of law-abiding citizens," said Anna Maria Corazza Bildt, European People's Party group negotiator on the Firearms Directive, commenting on the outcome of the vote.

"With this reform we want to ensure that the most dangerous weapons do not fall into the wrong hands by enhancing traceability and effective controls," said Nicola Danti (Italy) for the Socialists and Democrats group.

"This is a step in the right direction on gun control," declared Bodil Valero (Sweden) for the Greens/EFA group. "While we would have liked to have been able to secure sharper rules on medical background checks and regulation of large magazines, we are pleased to have closed some of the loopholes in the current legislation."

The draft law still requires a formal approval from the Council of the EU. Once the law has entered into force, EU member states will have 15 months to transpose the new rules into national law and 30 months to establish data systems for information related to tracing and identifying firearms.

[Editor: huaxia]
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