Evaluation of the Firearms Directive Annexes Prepared by: December 2014 Evaluation of the Firearms Directive - Annexes - DISCLAIMER By the European Commission, Directorate-General for Enterprise and Industry This document has been prepared for the European Commission however it reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein. ISBN: 978-92-79-35113-6 DOI: 10.2769/89829 © European Union, 2014. All rights reserved. Certain parts are licenced under conditions to the EU. Reproduction is authorized provided the source is acknowledged. 19/12/2014 Page 2 of 132 Evaluation of the Firearms Directive - Annexes - Table of contents ANNEX 1. DESK RESEARCH .................................................................. 4 1.1 National legislations regulating acquisition, possession and transfer of civilian firearms ......................................................................................... 6 1.2 List of secondary sources .......................................................................... 12 ANNEX 2. STAKEHOLDERS INVOLVED IN THE STUDY .............................. 19 2.1 List of stakeholders who answered the survey............................................... 19 2.2 List of stakeholders interviewed ................................................................. 22 2.3 List of stakeholders engaged for the case studies .......................................... 24 ANNEX 3. LEGAL ANALYSIS: NATIONAL COMPARATIVE TABLES ............... 26 3.1 Categories of firearms .............................................................................. 26 3.2 Ownership: Requirements ......................................................................... 28 3.3 Ownership: Validity .................................................................................. 34 3.4 Dealers .................................................................................................. 36 3.5 Brokers .................................................................................................. 42 3.6 Marking and traceability ............................................................................ 46 3.7 Deactivation ........................................................................................... 54 3.8 European Firearms Pass ............................................................................ 59 3.9 Penalties ................................................................................................ 65 ANNEX 4. CASE STUDY ON GERMANY ................................................... 76 4.1 Overview of the legislation ........................................................................ 76 4.2 Security issues experienced in the last years ................................................ 81 4.3 The market issues related to civilian firearms ............................................... 82 4.4 Overall comments and remarks .................................................................. 84 ANNEX 5. CASE STUDY ON FRANCE ...................................................... 86 5.1 Overview of the legislation ........................................................................ 86 5.2 Security issues experienced in the last years ................................................ 90 5.3 The market issues related to civilian firearms ............................................... 94 5.4 Overall comments and remarks .................................................................. 97 ANNEX 6. CASE STUDY ON BELGIUM .................................................... 98 6.1 Overview of the legislation ........................................................................ 98 6.2 Security issues experienced in the last years .............................................. 101 6.3 The market issues related to civilian firearms ............................................. 104 6.4 Overall comments and remarks ................................................................ 107 ANNEX 7. CASE STUDY ON POLAND .................................................... 107 7.1 Overview of the legislation ...................................................................... 108 7.2 Security issues experienced in the last years .............................................. 111 7.3 The market issues related to civilian firearms ............................................. 113 7.4 Overall comments and remarks ................................................................ 116 ANNEX 8. EVALUATION GRIDS ........................................................... 117 ANNEX 9. ANSWERS TO THE EVALUATION QUESTIONS ......................... 130 19/12/2014 Page 3 of 132 Evaluation of the Firearms Directive - Annexes - Annex 1. Desk research The desk research relied on existing documents, at international, EU and national level. Documents used as the main source of information can be classified into four categories: · The legal framework at EU level and on-going policy developments; · Other relevant information on the application of the Directive in MS, based on possible infringement procedures launched by the EU; · National legislation implementing the Firearms Directive, related legal acts and other relevant policy or research documents at national level; · Data sources on trends in criminal offences, illicit trafficking and illicit use of firearms, elaborated by EU institutions and recognized supranational research organisations; · Statistics, relevant studies and other information (e.g. Amadeus, Eurostat) related to the market of firearms, the main firms operating in the EU, trends in production and trade, etc. We provide below a list of secondary sources (see par. 1.2) and legislative documents (see par. 1.1) used for the study. The evaluation took also into account a range of actions the European Commission is taking to manage and reduce the risks posed by civilian firearms, including, among others: · The strategy “Firearms and the internal security of the EU: protecting citizens and disrupting illegal trafficking”, launched in October 2013 and aimed at addressing vulnerabilities and safeguarding the lawful market.1 · The work on the common deactivation guidelines (expected to be approved in the next months), and the investigation of the feasibility of an EU marking standard for all weapons. · The actions taken in line with international developments, starting from the ratification of the Firearms Protocol by the EU2 which is expected to contribute to improved controls on the transfer of firearms, by setting high common international standards on imports, exports and transfers and on manufacturing and marking. · The recently adopted (3 June 2013) Arms Trade Treaty3 which represents the highest possible common international standard for regulating or improving the regulation of international trade in conventional arms. The treaty will enter into force once ratified by 50 States. The Commission proposed a Council decision authorising EU MS to sign the Treaty in May 2013. In March 2014 this Decision was 1 COM (2013) 716 final. Link: http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/home-affairs/what-we-do/policies/organized- crime-and-human-trafficking/trafficking-in-firearms/docs/1_en_act_part1_v12.pdf 2 In March 2013, the Commission proposed that the Council decides to approve the UNFP's conclusion on behalf of the Community (COM(2013) 154 final, Proposal for a Council decision on the conclusion, on behalf of the EU, of the Protocol against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, Their Parts and Components and Ammunition, supplementing the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime). The protocol has been ratified by the Commission in March 2014. Link: http://eur- lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=COM:2013:0154:FIN:EN:PDF 3 http://www.un.org/disarmament/ATT/. 19/12/2014 Page 4 of 132 Evaluation of the Firearms Directive - Annexes - adopted. EU MS are now free to deposit their ratification instruments in New York.4 · The two impact assessments launched by DG HOME on i) deactivation, marking of firearms, replicas and alarm weapons5 and ii) criminal sanctions.6 · The strategies designed by the EU, aimed at guiding its external action to control the firearms trade, including the strategy to combat the illicit accumulation and trafficking of Small Arms Light Weapons (SALW) adopted in 2005. The purpose of the SALW strategy is to contribute to an integrated, coherent and visible EU action against the accumulation and spread of such arms and weapons.7 Finally, the evaluation of firearms legislation is included in the Commission’s Regulatory Fitness and Performance Programme (REFIT) to assess the potential for simplification and reduction of regulatory costs and burdens.8 Data availability With respect to the market, we used official statistical data when available and we completed/enriched them with primary data collected through stakeholders’ consultation. Eurostat Structural Business Survey Data (SBS) were used and allowed for a first analysis of turnover, investment and employment figures for the overall firearms and ammunitions sector (NACE 25.40 - Manufacture of weapons and ammunitions) including both arms for civilian and military use.9 SBS data were then integrated with information sourced from the Amadeus database produced by Bureau Van Djik and concerning the share of employment for each category of firm. In addition to these sources, we used the Eurostat Prodcom database for data on the production of civilian