A European Parliament conference on 1 December will discuss the proposed rules and their implications for lawful activities.
The European Parliament in Brussels will host a conference on 1 December 2026 to discuss the European Union’s proposal to combat illicit firearms trafficking and how to tackle crime while keeping the rules governing the lawful activities of hunters, sport shooters, manufacturers and dealers clear.
Hosted by MEP Alex Agius Saliba, the event is organised with the European Federation for Hunting and Conservation (FACE) and European associations representing sporting firearms, ammunition and hunting firearms. Its title is “Navigating the EU Firearms Trafficking Proposal: Perspectives from Stakeholders”.
The conference comes as lawmakers consider a draft directive presented by the European Commission on 26 February. The proposal aims to align criminal definitions and penalties for illicit firearms trafficking across EU countries, strengthen cooperation and information sharing, and help authorities trace firearms linked to crime.
Why it matters for hunting and sport shooting
For hunters and sport shooters, the discussion centres on drafting clear provisions that distinguish lawful activities from criminal conduct. The organisers raise the need to protect lawful users and the economic sector from legal uncertainty and disproportionate administrative burdens while strengthening the fight against trafficking.
The European Commission states that its proposal targets illicit activities and does not alter the existing rules on lawful acquisition, possession or cross-border movement. The conference will give representatives of EU institutions, industry and other stakeholders an opportunity to discuss the practical effects of the proposed text on manufacturers, dealers and national authorities.
The debate also covers information sharing through national firearms focal points, cooperation between countries and the digital challenges posed by blueprints used for the illicit manufacture of firearms through 3D printing.
Commission, Parliament and industry perspectives
According to the invitation received by Sayd Magazine, Floriana Sipala, Director for Internal Security and Counter-Terrorism Coordinator at the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs, will deliver the keynote address.
The programme includes an intervention by MEP Evin Incir, the file’s rapporteur in the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs. MEP Malik Azmani, shadow rapporteur for the Renew Europe group, is also expected to take part, with his participation still to be confirmed in the announced programme.
Industry will be represented by Olivier Van Herstraeten, Secretary General of the Association of European Manufacturers of Sporting Firearms (ESFAM), and Mauro Silvis, Secretary General of the Association of European Manufacturers of Sporting Ammunition (AFEMS) and the European Institute of Hunting and Sporting Arms (IEACS).
The interventions will be followed by a question-and-answer session, with participants able to submit questions in advance when registering.
A proposal still under discussion
As of 11 November, the European Parliament’s legislative record shows that the file is awaiting a decision by the responsible committee. The conference therefore forms part of the ongoing legislative debate; it is not an announcement of legislation already in force or of final decisions.
The in-person event will take place on Tuesday 1 December, from 17:00 to 18:30 Brussels time, in room SPINELLI 1G369 at the European Parliament. Visitors from outside Parliament must register in advance and complete the entry formalities.
Photo: Oscar Franzén / Wikimedia Commons, public domain.