EU Statement at the Working Group on Firearms - UN Convention against Transnational Organised Crime (UNTOC) United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)

Distinguished Chair, dear colleagues,

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union (EU) and its Member States. The following countries align themselves with this statement:Albania, Andorra, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iceland, Montenegro, North Macedonia,  Republic of Moldova, and Ukraine.

We appreciate the opportunity to discuss the important topics on the agenda, particularly the implementation of the Firearms Protocol which will contribute to the Pact for the Future. 

Improving our knowledge on firearms trafficking is a common goal to better prevent firearms trafficking in the future. Therefore, the EU has funded a project with over a million euros (EUR 1,165,000) to support the UNODC in publishing a new Global Study on Firearms, which aims to monitor the current illicit arms flows and obtain a better understanding of the extent and impact of the illicit trafficking of firearms and ammunition around the world. This project will provide valuable insights and data to inform our efforts to prevent and combat the illicit trafficking in firearms.

In the context of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, the EU provides assistance to the Ukrainian authorities to prevent the diversion of firearms and other small arms and light weapons, for instance through the creation of a unified registry for firearms, a National Firearms Focal Point and the development of a Roadmap on firearms trafficking.

The EU recognises the Firearms Protocol as a crucial instrument in preventing, combating, and eradicating the illicit manufacturing of and trafficking in firearms, their parts and components, and ammunition. We acknowledge the importance of effective criminal justice responses to the offenses covered by the Protocol.

To this end, the European Commission has recently adopted a proposal for a new EU Directive on combating firearms trafficking and other firearms-related offences. This criminal law proposal has three main aims: 

• Firstly, harmonising the definitions and penalties for firearms trafficking and firearms-related offences across Member States, including a focus on blueprints used to 3D print firearms. 

• Secondly, strengthen cross-border cooperation notably through establishing national firearms focal points in all EU Member States. 

• And thirdly, harmonising the national databases in the Member States with information of seized firearms and transmitting this information to Europol. 

This Commission proposal is currently under negotiation within the European Parliament and Council. Once adopted, this new Directive will directly implement articles 5 and 6 of the Firearms Protocol. 

Moreover, in 2024, the EU adopted a new EU Directive on asset recovery and confiscation for transposition by the EU Member States by the end of this year. The rules of this Directive apply to the implementation of the Firearms Protocol by the EU Member States. Therefore, we welcome the upcoming discussion, under agenda point 2, on the confiscation, seizure and disposal of firearms. 

Furthermore, already in 2015, the EU adopted binding technical standards for the deactivation of firearms, to assure that firearms are rendered irreversibly inoperable. These rules on deactivation, which include an EU certificate, have clearly diminished the threat of reactivating deactivated firearms in the EU. We therefore welcome the opportunity to discuss this good practice under agenda item 3.

Finally, we welcome the update on the review mechanism for the implementation of the Firearms Protocol, under agenda item 4. We believe that this review process is essential for ensuring the effective implementation of the Protocol and identifying areas for improvement.

In conclusion, the EU reiterates its commitment to supporting the effective implementation of the Firearms Protocol and to addressing the challenges posed by the illicit trade in firearms. We look forward to continuing our cooperation with UNODC and other stakeholders to achieve our common goals.

Thank you, Mr. Chair.