After Paris, semi-automatic weapons should be banned
Because of terrorist attacks in Paris is amended EU Directives

http://www.vecernji.hr/hrvatska/nakon-pariza-poluautomatsko-oruzje-trebalo-bi-biti-zabranjeno-1038987

Stricter controls in the sale and registration of weapons, ban the sale of firearms and ammunition over the Internet and stricter rules for purchasing and holding semi-automatic weapons that private individuals may not have even in cases where it is permanently disabled, are some of the proposals by the European Commission to the Council and the EU Parliament seeking a change of the EU directive on weapons.

The law "on hold"

Although these rules were envisaged in the European Security Programme which was adopted in April this year, just after the terrorist attacks in Paris was accelerated a process to make it soon as possible to enter into force. As the "pending" adoption of the directive at the level of the EU, and in Croatia, "pending" adoption of the Law on Procurement and registration of weapons of citizens, for which the Ministry of the Interior in January was invited interested public to join the debate on the draft of the law. Although the Ministry of Interior as the carrier of the law asked that he passed in emergency procedure stating, among other things, that the applicable EU directive "suggests determining the categories of firearms whose acquisition and holding of citizens were prohibited or would require the approval or application", it is still did not happen. And that is, with respect to the announced changes relating to the acquisition of semi-automatic weapons to Croatian law had to be changed again. And in valid in the draft new law on the list of weapons that Croatia can legally have, and which are issued by the armed list, there is a semi-automatic weapon. A liability of harmonization of national legislation with the acquis communautaire - which is primarily concerned with the transfer of European directives into national law - remained even after accession to the EU.

Under legal weapons

In Croatia there are around 300,000 pieces of weapons, but it is assumed that the black figure is half a million more.

Invocation to the proposal of the Law on Procurement and registration of weapons of citizens, the number of legal weapons will be reduced.

The EU Directive does not allow traffic to be weapons for which there is no information on the origin and which has not been adequately tested and marked, and the weapons that have been legalized according to the regulations in force, and which can not prove the origin, be destroyed.

>> Council of the EU stricter controls for EU citizens
Ostojic: Croatia complies with conventions

- There is no single case in a criminal or terrorist act, a weapon that is deactivated in Croatia, and it is the best evidence that Croatia strictly adhere to all conventions - said Interior Minister Ranko Ostojic answering our question of adherence to European regulations on RH arms control.

While the Commission does not propose changing the EU directive on firearms, there is a directive with which Croatia is fully harmonized.

As for the recent changes, the Commission announced that the new directive wants to tighten rules on the labeling of weapons. It also calls for better information among the EU Member States, especially the people who did not obtain a firearm license in one of the member countries. Stricter criteria will be applied to the alarm guns, as they are pistols which means the start of the race, in order to prevent them to be converted into firearms.

- We will soon announce an action plan to combat illegal arms trafficking - said EC President Jean-Claude Juncker.

As part of this action plan the European Commission will propose measures to combat the smuggling of arms from the Balkans to the EU. Minister Ranko Ostojic says that Croatian police have recorded significant successes.

(Tomislav Krasnec)

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IZAKOVIC