It is difficult to answer the question of how many weapons there are in Europe, as a significant portion of them are illegal

Saturday, Aug 31, 2024

Delfi

EU has 35 million illegal firearms; new regulations aim to improve tracking and control.

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[This is an automatically generated summary, for reference only]

Approximately 35 million illegal firearms, including pistols, automatic weapons, and rifles, circulate in the European Union, constituting over half of all civilian firearms owned by European citizens. A significant portion of these illegal weapons originates from the Balkan countries. While acquiring firearms legally in Europe can be difficult, terrorists face few obstacles. Belgium is highlighted as a major hub for arms trafficking due to its central location and important ports. The EU is working to improve transparency in the firearms market by updating regulations to introduce an electronic licensing system, which is expected to be fully implemented across the EU by 2028. Despite existing EU directives, firearm laws vary across member states; for example, Czechia has relatively liberal laws, while Romania has some of the strictest. In Lithuania, obtaining a firearm requires meeting age requirements, providing medical certificates, and completing training courses. While mass shootings are rare in Europe, firearm-related deaths are most often domestic incidents, with suicide being the leading cause, according to data from 2015. Experts suggest that legal access to firearms, particularly in the home, is linked to increased risks of suicide and domestic violence.

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