01/12/2015 (Agence Europe) - Commission presents package on firearms to member states. At the Competitiveness Council of Monday 30 November, the Commission of the Industry, Elzbieta Bienkowska, presented her proposal to reinforce controls on firearms (see EUROPE 11433). This was a point of information, as the member states have not yet taken position. The initiative is based around three pillars: - harmonising the national laws on the decommissioning of weapons; - strict bans on certain decommissioned weapons; - tightened controls on sales of weapons over the Internet to citizens, but also to collectors. The legislative project has been accelerated following the terrorist attacks in Paris of 13 November. It will be added to by new measures to fight the trafficking in firearms, which the Commission will present on Wednesday 2 December. (PH)