On Thursday, 23 September, the European Commission decided to refer Luxembourg to the Court of Justice of the European Union for failing to transpose the directive (2021/555) on the acquisition and possession of firearms. It has requested that the court order the Member State to pay fines.
Revised in 2017 and supposed to be transposed by Member States before September 2018, the Firearms Directive sets common minimum standards governing the acquisition, possession, and commercial exchange of civilian firearms—for example, those used for sport shooting and hunting.
Thursday’s referral concerns a set of provisions that were introduced in this directive, including new rules on the activities of dealers and brokers, changes to marking rules, and stricter rules concerning the most dangerous firearms or an update of the European Firearms Pass.
The European Commission, which opened this infringement proceeding in November 2018, still has not received notification of transposition.
In addition, the EU institution sent a reasoned opinion to Denmark, Ireland, and (once again) Luxembourg on Thursday so that they will transpose these rules on the acquisition and possession of firearms and, in particular, on the establishment of two data-filling systems to regulate the activities of dealers and brokers and to record all types of firearms subject to the directive—initially planned for the end of 2019—into their national laws.
Malta and Belgium have also both been sent a letter of formal notice regarding how EU rules on alarm and signal weapons have been transposed. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)