Firearms Directive update

Last week the CA attended a number of vital meetings regarding the proposed amendments to the Firearms Directive. As the process trundles slowly through the European Parliament there now appears to be a light at the end of the tunnel. This is because the proposed amendments, that will have an adverse impact on all legal shooters, have in the last few weeks been roundly criticised by a number of European parliamentarians from a range of party groups. Most welcoming was the speech by Vicky Ford, MEP Rapporteur for the amendments, voicing her numerous concerns over what is a rushed text which, in an attempt to appease the Commission, is being pushed through the Parliament extremely quickly, with no impact assessment on those that will be affected.

The CA is working alongside all shooting organisations, within the UK and on the continent, to make sure legal firearms holders do not feel the consequences of this unjustified process. Torbjorn Larsson, Vice-President of the Nordic Hunters' Alliance summed up the current process perfectly: 'From a hunter's perspective, it has been a shocking and demeaning experience to be at the centre of the discussion surrounding terrorism and illegal trafficking of firearms. Hunters are nature-loving, law-abiding citizens that take great pleasure in the conservation of our natural resources for generations to come. We do not cause trouble. On the contrary, hunters actively invest their time and money in activities that directly benefit society, such as habitat and species management, tracking down game involved in traffic accidents, pest control and mitigating the effects of invasive alien species. Apart from some useful improvements on the traceability of firearms, the Commission's proposals appear to respond to a non-existing problem.'