Legal provisions of COM(2015)750 - Amendment of Council Directive 91/477/EEC on control of the acquisition and possession of weapons - Main contents
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dossier | COM(2015)750 - Amendment of Council Directive 91/477/EEC on control of the acquisition and possession of weapons. |
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document | COM(2015)750 |
date | May 17, 2017 |
Article 1
(1) | Article 1 is replaced by the following: ‘Article 1 1. For the purposes of this Directive, the following definitions apply:
2. For the purposes of this Directive, a person shall be considered to be a resident of the country indicated by the address appearing on an official document showing his or her place of residence, such as a passport or a national identity card, which, on a check on acquisition or on possession, is submitted to the competent authorities of a Member State or to a dealer or broker. If a person's address does not appear on his or her passport or national identity card, his or her country of residence shall be determined on the basis of any other official proof of residence recognised by the Member State concerned. 3. A “European firearms pass” shall be issued on request by the competent authorities of a Member State to a person lawfully entering into possession of and using a firearm. It shall be valid for a maximum period of 5 years, which may be extended, and shall contain the information set out in Annex II. It shall be non-transferable and shall record the firearm or firearms possessed and used by the holder of the pass. It must always be in the possession of the person using the firearm and any change in the possession or characteristics of the firearm, as well as the loss or theft thereof, shall be indicated on the pass.’; |
(2) | Article 2 is replaced by the following: ‘Article 2 1. This Directive is without prejudice to the application of national provisions concerning the carrying of weapons, hunting or target shooting, using weapons lawfully acquired and possessed in accordance with this Directive. 2. This Directive shall not apply to the acquisition or possession of weapons and ammunition, in accordance with national law, by the armed forces, the police or the public authorities. Nor shall it apply to transfers regulated by Directive 2009/43/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (*1). (*1) Directive 2009/43/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 6 May 2009 simplifying terms and conditions of transfers of defence-related products within the Community (OJ L 146, 10.6.2009, p. 1).’;" |
(3) | Article 4 is amended as follows:
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(4) | Article 4a is replaced by the following: ‘Article 4a Without prejudice to Article 3, Member States shall allow the acquisition and possession of firearms only by persons who have been granted a licence or, with respect to firearms classified in category C, who are specifically permitted to acquire and possess such firearms in accordance with national law.’; |
(5) | Article 4b is deleted; |
(6) | Articles 5 and 6 are replaced by the following: ‘Article 5 1. Without prejudice to Article 3, Member States shall permit the acquisition and possession of firearms only by persons who have good cause and who:
2. Member States shall have in place a monitoring system, which they may operate on a continuous or non-continuous basis, to ensure that the conditions of authorisation set by national law are met throughout the duration of the authorisation and, inter alia, relevant medical and psychological information is assessed. The specific arrangements shall be determined in accordance with national law. Where any of the conditions of authorisation is no longer met, Member States shall withdraw the respective authorisation. Member States may not prohibit persons resident within their territory from possessing a firearm acquired in another Member State unless they prohibit the acquisition of the same type of firearm within their own territory. 3. Member States shall ensure that an authorisation to acquire and an authorisation to possess a firearm classified in category B shall be withdrawn if the person who was granted that authorisation is found to be in possession of a loading device apt to be fitted to centre-fire semi-automatic firearms or repeating firearms, which:
unless that person has been granted an authorisation under Article 6 or an authorisation which has been confirmed, renewed or prolonged under Article 7(4a). Article 5a In order to minimise the risk of firearms and ammunition being accessed by unauthorised persons, Member States shall establish rules on the proper supervision of firearms and ammunition and rules on their proper storage in a secure manner. Firearms and their ammunition shall not be readily accessible together. Proper supervision shall mean that the person lawfully possessing the firearm or the ammunition concerned has control over it during its transportation and use. The level of scrutiny of such proper storage arrangements shall reflect the number and category of the firearms and ammunition concerned.Article 5b Member States shall ensure that, in cases involving the acquisition and selling of firearms, essential components or ammunition classified in category A, B or C by means of distance contracts as defined in point (7) of Article 2 of Directive 2011/83/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council (*2), the identity, and where required, the authorisation of the purchaser of the firearm, essential components or ammunition are checked prior to, or at the latest upon, delivery thereof to that person, by:
Article 6 1. Without prejudice to Article 2(2), Member States shall take all appropriate measures to prohibit the acquisition and possession of the firearms, the essential components and the ammunition classified in category A. They shall ensure that those firearms, essential components and ammunition unlawfully held in contravention of that prohibition are impounded.2. For the protection of the security of critical infrastructure, commercial shipping, high-value convoys and sensitive premises, as well as for national defence, educational, cultural, research and historical purposes, and without prejudice to paragraph 1, the national competent authorities may grant, in individual cases, exceptionally and in a duly reasoned manner, authorisations for firearms, essential components and ammunition classified in category A where this is not contrary to public security or public order. 3. Member States may choose to grant to collectors, in individual special cases, exceptionally and in a duly reasoned manner, authorisations to acquire and possess firearms, essential components and ammunition classified in category A, subject to strict conditions on security, including the demonstration to the national competent authorities that measures are in place to address any risks to public security or public order and that the firearms, essential components or ammunition concerned are stored with a level of security proportionate to the risks associated with unauthorised access to such items. Member States shall ensure that collectors authorised under the first subparagraph of this paragraph are identifiable within the data-filing systems referred to in Article 4. Such authorised collectors shall be obliged to maintain a register of all firearms in their possession classified in category A, which shall be accessible to the national competent authorities. Member States shall establish an appropriate monitoring system with respect to such authorised collectors, taking all relevant factors into account. 4. Member States may authorise dealers or brokers, in their respective professional capacities, to acquire, manufacture, deactivate, repair, supply, transfer and possess firearms, essential components and ammunition classified in category A, subject to strict conditions regarding security. 5. Member States may authorise museums to acquire and possess firearms, essential components and ammunition classified in category A, subject to strict conditions regarding security. 6. Member States may authorise target shooters to acquire and possess semi-automatic firearms classified in point 6 or 7 of category A, subject to the following conditions:
As regards firearms classified in point 6 of category A, Member States applying a military system based on general conscription and having in place over the last 50 years a system of transfer of military firearms to persons leaving the army after fulfilling their military duties may grant to those persons, in their capacity as a target shooter, an authorisation to keep one firearm used during the mandatory military period. The relevant public authority shall transform those firearms into semi-automatic firearms and shall periodically check that the persons using such firearms do not represent a risk to public security. The provisions set out in points (a), (b) and (c) of the first subparagraph shall apply. 7. Authorisations granted under this Article shall be reviewed periodically at intervals not exceeding 5 years.’; (*2) Directive 2011/83/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2011 on consumer rights, amending Council Directive 93/13/EEC and Directive 1999/44/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council and repealing Council Directive 85/577/EEC and Directive 97/7/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (OJ L 304, 22.11.2011, p. 64)." |
(7) | Article 7 is amended as follows:
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(8) | in Article 8, paragraph 3 is replaced by the following: ‘3. If a Member State prohibits or makes subject to authorisation the acquisition and possession within its territory of a firearm classified in category B or C, it shall inform the other Member States, which shall expressly include a statement to that effect on any European firearms pass they issue for such a firearm, pursuant to Article 12(2).’; |
(9) | Article 10 is replaced by the following: ‘Article 10 1. The arrangements for the acquisition and possession of ammunition shall be the same as those for the possession of the firearms for which the ammunition is intended. The acquisition of loading devices for centre-fire semi-automatic firearms which can hold more than 20 rounds or more than 10 rounds in the case of long firearms shall be permitted only for persons who are granted an authorisation under Article 6 or an authorisation which has been confirmed, renewed or prolonged under Article 7(4a). 2. Dealers and brokers may refuse to complete any transaction for the acquisition of complete rounds of ammunition, or components of ammunition, which they reasonably consider to be suspicious owing to its nature or scale, and shall report any such attempted transaction to the competent authorities.’; |
(10) | the following Articles are inserted: ‘Article 10a 1. Member States shall take measures to ensure that devices with a cartridge holder which are designed to fire only blanks, irritants, other active substances or pyrotechnic signalling rounds are not capable of being converted to expel a shot, bullet or projectile by the action of a combustible propellant. 2. Member States shall classify as firearms devices with a cartridge holder which are designed to fire only blanks, irritants, other active substances or pyrotechnic signalling rounds and which are capable of being converted to expel a shot, bullet or projectile by the action of a combustible propellant. 3. The Commission shall adopt implementing acts laying down technical specifications for alarm and signal weapons manufactured or imported into the Union on or after 14 September 2018 to ensure that they are not capable of being converted to expel a shot, bullet or projectile by the action of a combustible propellant. Those implementing acts shall be adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 13b(2). The Commission shall adopt the first such implementing act by 14 September 2018. Article 10b 1. Member States shall make arrangements for the deactivation of firearms to be verified by a competent authority in order to ensure that the modifications made to a firearm render all its essential components permanently inoperable and incapable of removal, replacement or modification in a manner that would permit the firearm to be reactivated in any way. Member States shall, in the context of that verification, provide for the issuance of a certificate and record attesting to the deactivation of the firearm and the apposition of a clearly visible mark to that effect on the firearm.2. The Commission shall adopt implementing acts laying down deactivation standards and techniques to ensure that all essential components of a firearm are rendered permanently inoperable and incapable of removal, replacement or modification in a manner that would permit the firearm to be reactivated in any way. Those implementing acts shall be adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 13b(2). 3. The implementing acts referred to in paragraph 2 shall not apply to firearms deactivated prior to the date of application of those implementing acts unless those firearms are transferred to another Member State or placed on the market subsequent to that date. 4. Member States may notify to the Commission within 2 months after 13 June 2017 their national deactivation standards and techniques applied before 8 April 2016, justifying the reasons for which the level of security ensured by those national deactivation standards and techniques is equivalent to that ensured by the technical specifications for deactivation of firearms set out in Annex I to Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2015/2403 (*4) as applicable on 8 April 2016. 5. When Member States notify the Commission in accordance with paragraph 4 of this Article, the Commission shall, at the latest 12 months after notification, adopt implementing acts deciding whether the national deactivation standards and techniques thus notified ensured that firearms were deactivated with a level of security equivalent to that ensured by the technical specifications for deactivation of firearms set out in Annex I to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2015/2403 as applicable on 8 April 2016. Those implementing acts shall be adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 13b(2). 6. Until the date of application of the implementing acts referred to in paragraph 5, any firearm deactivated in accordance with the national deactivation standards and techniques applied before 8 April 2016 shall, when transferred to another Member State or placed on the market, comply with the technical specifications for deactivation of firearms set out in Annex I to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2015/2403. 7. Firearms deactivated before 8 April 2016 in accordance with the national deactivation standards and techniques that have been found to ensure a level of security equivalent to that ensured by the technical specifications for deactivation of firearms set out in Annex I to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2015/2403 as applicable on 8 April 2016 shall be considered to be deactivated firearms, including when they are transferred to another Member State or placed on the market after the date of application of the implementing acts referred to in paragraph 5. (*4) Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2015/2403 of 15 December 2015 establishing common guidelines on deactivation standards and techniques for ensuring that deactivated firearms are rendered irreversibly inoperable (OJ L 333, 19.12.2015, p. 62).’;" |
(11) | in the title of Chapter 3, the word ‘Community’ is replaced by the word ‘Union’; |
(12) | in Article 11, paragraph 1 is replaced by the following: ‘1. Firearms may, without prejudice to Article 12, be transferred from one Member State to another only in accordance with the procedure laid down in this Article. That procedure shall also apply in respect of transfers of firearms following a sale by means of a distance contract as defined in point (7) of Article 2 of Directive 2011/83/EU.’; |
(13) | Article 12, paragraph 2 is amended as follows:
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(14) | in Article 13, the following paragraphs are added: ‘4. The competent authorities of the Member States shall exchange, by electronic means, information on the authorisations granted for the transfer of firearms to another Member State and information with regard to refusals to grant authorisations as provided for in Articles 6 and 7 on grounds of security or relating to the reliability of the person concerned. 5. The Commission shall provide for a system for the exchange of information mentioned in this Article. The Commission shall adopt delegated acts in accordance with Article 13a in order to supplement this Directive by laying down the detailed arrangements for the systematic exchange of information by electronic means. The Commission shall adopt the first such delegated act by 14 September 2018.’; |
(15) | Article 13a is replaced by the following: ‘Article 13a 1. The power to adopt delegated acts is conferred on the Commission subject to the conditions laid down in this Article. 2. The power to adopt delegated acts referred to in Article 13(5) shall be conferred on the Commission for an indeterminate period of time from 13 June 2017. 3. The delegation of power referred to in Article 13(5) may be revoked at any time by the European Parliament or by the Council. A decision to revoke shall put an end to the delegation of the power specified in that decision. It shall take effect the day following the publication of the decision in the Official Journal of the European Union or at a later date specified therein. It shall not affect the validity of any delegated acts already in force. 4. Before adopting a delegated act, the Commission shall consult experts designated by each Member State in accordance with the principles laid down in the Interinstitutional Agreement of 13 April 2016 on Better Law-Making. 5. As soon as it adopts a delegated act, the Commission shall notify it simultaneously to the European Parliament and to the Council. 6. A delegated act adopted pursuant to Article 13(5) shall enter into force only if no objection has been expressed either by the European Parliament or by the Council within a period of 2 months of notification of that act to the European Parliament and the Council or if, before the expiry of that period, the European Parliament and the Council have both informed the Commission that they will not object. That period shall be extended by 2 months at the initiative of the European Parliament or of the Council.’; |
(16) | the following Article is inserted: ‘Article 13b 1. The Commission shall be assisted by a committee. That committee shall be a committee within the meaning of Regulation (EU) No 182/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council (*5). 2. Where reference is made to this paragraph, Article 5 of Regulation (EU) No 182/2011 shall apply. (*5) Regulation (EU) No 182/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 February 2011 laying down the rules and general principles concerning mechanisms for control by Member States of the Commission's exercise of implementing powers (OJ L 55, 28.2.2011, p. 13).’;" |
(17) | in Article 15, paragraph 1, the word ‘Community’ is replaced by the word ‘Union’; |
(18) | Article 17 is replaced by the following: ‘Article 17 By 14 September 2020, and every 5 years thereafter, the Commission shall submit to the European Parliament and to the Council a report on the application of this Directive, including a fitness check of its provisions, accompanied, if appropriate, by legislative proposals concerning, in particular, the categories of firearms in Annex I and issues related to the implementation of the system for the European firearms pass, to marking and the impacts of new technologies such as 3D printing, the use of QR code and the use of radio-frequency identification (RFID).’; |
(19) | Annex I is amended as follows:
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(20) | in Annex II, point (f) is replaced by the following:
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Article 2
2. By way of derogation from paragraph 1 of this Article, Member States shall bring into force the laws, regulations and administrative provisions necessary to comply with Article 4(3) and Article 4(4) of Directive 91/477/EEC, as amended by this Directive, by 14 December 2019. They shall immediately inform the Commission thereof.
3. When Member States adopt the measures under paragraphs 1 and 2, they shall contain a reference to this Directive or shall be accompanied by such a reference on the occasion of their official publication. The methods of making such reference shall be laid down by Member States.
4. Notwithstanding paragraph 1, Member States may, as regards firearms acquired before 14 September 2018, suspend the requirement to declare firearms classified in point 5, 6 or 7 of category C until 14 March 2021.
5. Member States shall communicate to the Commission the text of the main measures of national law which they adopt in the field covered by this Directive.