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Tighter restrictions will not apply to military or police firearms but by 2028 all member countries should either start using the EU database or fold their existing system into it.
As part of the reform, the European Commission will also publish an annual report detailing gun import and export figures — while also revealing any seizures or refused arms shipments.
“There are still inadequate controls on the import and export of handguns,” said Bernd Lange, the chair of the European Parliament’s trade committee who ran work on the file, adding: “In Latin America for instance, many illegal activities and shootings use handguns smuggled in from Europe; revising the inadequate rules was more than overdue.”