Press Releases

Restricting lead in ammunition in Europe: Implications and consequences

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The event in the European Parliament on the planned EU restrictions on lead ammunition, hosted by MEP Riho Terras (EPP, Estonia), made it clear that the current regulatory proposal entails significant practical, economic, and security-related problems. While environmental goals are acknowledged, representatives from hunting, shooting sports, and industry point out that the proposed regulation in its current form is unbalanced and would have unreasonable consequences for the sectors concerned.

Picture by Alexander Louvet

The European ammunition industry emphasized that civilian and military production are closely interconnected. Therefore, restrictions in the civilian market would have direct effects on the supply of security authorities and armed forces – despite the exemptions provided. This endangers production capacities, supply chains, and investment security.

The regulation would also impose considerable burdens on shooting sports and their infrastructure. Sports associations warn of impractical requirements that threaten both elite and grassroots sports. Many clubs would be unable to afford the switch to alternative projectiles, new safety requirements, or costly modernization of shooting ranges.

The AECAC also spoke up, warning that overly short transition periods could financially burden gunsmiths and the firearms trade due to unsellable ammunition stocks, resulting in significant economic losses for the sector. The Commission acknowledged these concerns and agreed that further discussion is necessary. In response to the claim that Denmark had switched many years ago and banned the use of lead in ammunition, the AECAC pointed out that Denmark is not a member of the CIP and therefore had no related rules to follow—something that does not apply to many European Member States. Furthermore, the transition in Denmark took several years.

From the perspective of the AECAC, it is also questionable whether the intended environmental and health objectives are proportionate to the actual burdens, the existing regulatory framework, and the ongoing voluntary transition processes. Some statements by the Commission regarding the technical availability of alternative ammunition differ from the industry’s internal reality.

Peter Brass / Picture by Alexander Louvet

Overall, the discussion shows that the planned EU restriction is, in its current form, immature and insufficiently considers essential economic and security-related factors. The AECAC therefore, in line with the concerns expressed by industry and other associations, calls for a practical, proportionate, and technically feasible approach that takes environmental goals into account without destabilizing the entire sector.

You can find a report from FACE HERE and the recorded event HERE. 

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AECAC engages in political talks in Brussels

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AECAC Secretary General Peter Brass and political consultant Peter Husen held several meetings in Brussels with representatives of the European Commission and the European Parliament. The discussions focused on current and upcoming EU initiatives on firearms legislation, including a new directive to combat the illegal trafficking of firearms and a comprehensive evaluation of the existing Firearms Directive.

f.l.t.r. Peter Brass; Christian Doleschal (MEP); Peter Husen

AECAC emphasized its support for measures against criminal activity but warned against unnecessary bureaucracy that offers no real security benefits. In addition to the institutional meetings, the association also used various political events to strengthen networks and position AECAC as a reliable partner for policymakers.

f.l.t.r. Peter Husen; Marion Walsman (MEP); Peter Brass

“Looking ahead to 2026, we want to be actively involved from the very beginning in these important legislative processes,” said Peter Brass.

f.l.t.r. Peter Husen; Charlie Weimers (MEP); Peter Brass

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AECAC President visits the Swiss Gunsmiths‘ and Gun Dealers’ Association

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On Monday, 7 April 2025, the President of the AECAC, Michael Blendinger, accepted the invitation to the 113th General Assembly of the Swiss Gunsmiths‘ and Gun Dealers’ Association SBC/ASA.
At the well-attended event in Lupfig (Aargau), after the internal part of the association, the president of the SBC, Daniel Wyss, presented the public part with the annual report and elections to board positions, and the head of apprenticeships, Urs Glauser, honoured the examination graduates.
This was followed by several informative short presentations on hunting regulations, changes to firearms legislation and specific Swiss topics such as the list of aids for shooting with army weapons, as well as greetings from various Swiss associations and institutions.

In addition to a commitment to the industry, the presentation of the TWINT payment app brought a glimmer of hope for the now global problem of the exclusion of the arms trade from online payment service providers, at least for our Swiss colleagues.

Vice President Christoph Gilgen led through the Foreign/International Politics item and gave President Michael Blendinger the opportunity to introduce AECAC and briefly report on the latest developments in EU legislation, such as the planned lead ban under the REACH Regulation and the revision of the Firearms Directive in 2025.
The agenda was concluded with a speech by Thierry Burkart, member of the Council of States of the Canton of Aargau and party president of the Swiss FDP, on the topic of “Security policy in connection with the arms industry”.
The guests then met for an aperitif, followed by lunch together, which provided an opportunity for many interesting discussions.

A table exhibition for the presentation of new products flanked the all-round successful event.

Michael Blendinger (AECAC-President)
(Photo by Nathalie Homberger)

Daniel Wyss (SBC-President)
(Photo by Nathalie Homberger)

The number of guests that our Swiss colleagues were able to gather was remarkable. For example, in addition to the aforementioned party president of the Swiss FDP, Thierry Burkart, the Managing Director of Jagd Schweiz, David Clavadetscher, as well as high-ranking representatives of the Central Weapons Centre, the Ministry of Economic Affairs SECO and the SAT division of the Swiss Armed Forces were also present.
President Blendinger commented: “You can clearly see that the firearms industry in Switzerland is held in high esteem by the specialised services. I was impressed by the high-calibre visitors and discussions at eye level. Even though Swiss firearms legislation also has some pitfalls, the mutual interaction reflects the defining Swiss principle: direct and immediate democracy, in which decisions are actually made by the people.”

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AECAC Annual Meeting in politically thrilling times

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On Friday, February 28, 2025, our annual general meeting took place at the IWA in Nuremberg, Germany. AECAC President Michael Blendinger was pleased to welcome new members from Austria and Romania again this year. However, the political pressure continues to increase: From the threat of a ban on lead ammunition to a possible revision of the EU Firearms Directive.

Brussels will become even more important for the national associations this year. Unlike in the defense sector, where the aim is to massively expand capacities in Europe, the sign is pointing to further restrictions in the area of civilian legal weapons.

The EU Commission’s recent proposal on the ban on lead ammunition underlines the political demand for more and faster restrictions. The participants were informed about the current plans by guest speaker David Scallan, Secretary General of the European Hunting Association FACE.

In autumn 2025, a new directive on arms trafficking is also to be published. Here, too, the industry must pay close attention to ensure that there are meaningful improvements in security, but not additional bureaucratic effort for those companies that already comply with all the rules.

The question of how the European Commission intends to further develop the Firearms Directive will also be of great importance. These are all issues on which national associations need to work closely together at European level.

“I am very pleased that we were able to discuss the common challenges so intensively and so unanimously in Nuremberg. The upcoming political issues will be challenging, but the AECAC is well equipped for them,” said AECAC President Michael Blendinger, summarizing his impressions from Nuremberg.

New admission of the Austrian member Internationaler Schützenbund (ISB)

f.l.t.r. Angelos Pitsillides (AECAC-Vice President); Michael Blendinger (AECAC-President); Rüdiger Gruber (ISB-President); Michael Kleinböck (ISB-Treasurer)

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AECAC submits Statement on EU Consultation

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The European Association of the Civil Commerce of Weapons (AECAC) has taken a clear stance (feedback was sent on December 11th) as part of the ongoing EU consultation regarding the EU-wide harmonization of criminal provisions related to firearms. The consultation examines whether a new directive is needed to establish equivalent criminal provisions across the EU for the illegal manufacturing of firearms, aiming to prevent criminals from exploiting countries with more lenient penalties.

Although AECAC explicitly supports efforts to combat the illegal trade in firearms, the proposed legislative initiative is considered ineffective. The planned measures would likely do little to deter criminals or terrorists effectively, while disproportionately burdening the legal civilian firearms trade.

Priority on Implementing Existing Regulations
AECAC emphasizes that the EU Firearms Directive (2021/555) has yet to be fully implemented across all member states. Differing national interpretations and implementation levels hinder harmonized regulations. Before introducing new laws, the evaluation of the existing directive, scheduled for 2026 under Article 24 of the directive, should be awaited. Additional directives without prior evaluation could increase the risk of inconsistencies and create unnecessary administrative burdens and uncertainties for the legal firearms trade.

Uniform Regulations Instead of Overregulation
AECAC calls for the harmonization of existing import and export regulations before introducing new measures. Disparities in national regulations—such as individual or general permits—cause legal uncertainties and complicate intra-European trade. Moreover, the Internal Market Information System (IMI) is not consistently maintained, further complicating the approval process. Member states should be required to justify any over-compliance with European minimum standards to minimize the burden on domestic trade.

Digitalization and Improved Networking as Key Solutions
From AECAC’s perspective, enhancing the networking of competent authorities and deploying digital systems are crucial for increasing the effectiveness of monitoring and enforcing existing laws. National legal provisions that hinder information sharing complicate investigations and obstruct effective collaboration between security authorities.

Picture: Christian Lue / unsplash.com

Standardized Marking of Alarm, Irritant and Signal Weapons and Realistic Assessment of 3D Printing
AECAC advocates for EU-wide standardized marking of Alarm, Irritant and Signal Weapons in line with Implementing Directive (EU) 2019/69 to ensure clear identification and combat the illegal conversion into functional firearms. At the same time, the association disagrees with the claim that no EU member state penalizes the unauthorized manufacturing of firearms using 3D printing. As long as illegal manufacturing is generally sanctioned, there is no need for specific regulations for 3D printing, as this would only lead to unnecessary regulatory complexity.

AECAC appeals to the European Commission to adopt pragmatic and evidence-based approaches to improve security in Europe without disproportionately burdening the legal firearms trade.

The German Federal State of Hesse calls for stricter criminal provisions
Against the backdrop of the EU-level consultation, AECAC similarly criticizes similar demands from Germany, as recently expressed at the end of November by the Conference of Justice Ministers at Hesse’s initiative. There, the federal government was urged “to promptly present a draft law that adjusts the sentencing framework in the Weapons Act for commercial and organized firearms trafficking to reflect the severity of the offenses and, if necessary, aligns it similarly to the War Weapons Control Act.”

Considering the ongoing EU-level consultation, it is believed that initiating an independent effort in Germany is entirely premature, as the consultation’s results and potential recommendations from the EU are currently unknown. A premature adjustment of German penalties risks perpetuating the inconsistency criticized in the consultation if Germany adopts stricter standards than the EU. Additionally, this could necessitate two rounds of adjustments, resulting in unnecessary legislative initiatives.

While the intention to “punish illegal firearms trafficking more severely” can be understood as a commendable initiative within the context of an election campaign, it would be more prudent in this case to await an EU agreement.

 

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New EU Commission in office. Starting signal for the new EU legislative period!

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After some political back and forth, the new European Commission was able to take up its work on December 1st, 2024. This means that the regular legislative machine is starting to run again in Brussels as proposals for EU laws may only be made by the Commission. The AECAC used the occasion to hold various talks in Brussels.

In the next five years, there will be a number of European policy issues for the arms trade and the owners of civilian firearms. With the official adoption of the EU Firearms Regulation imminent, there will be new rules for international trade. And very importantly, we must expect new proposals for the EU Firearms Directive by 2026 at the latest.

Verene Mertens (MEP) and Peter Brass

Moritz Körner (MEP) and Peter Brass

For this reason, our Secretary-General Peter Brass met with various MEPs. Verena Mertens, EPP-MEP from Germany, has been a member of parliament since the European elections in June 2024. Mertens, with a professional background as police officer, sits on the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs.

MEP Moritz Körner has been a member of the European Parliament for Renew Europe since 2019. He, too, works in the “Committee on Internal Affairs”, which is so important to the firearms sector. In general, he hopes, the new EU Commission will weaken the well-known Brussels approach of “regulating as much as possible as precisely as possible”.

The AECAC can only agree with this!

New EU Commission in office. Starting signal for the new EU legislative period! Read More »

ECHA’s Proposed Lead Ammunition Ban Faces Cost Concerns: New Study Reveals Financial Challenges for Shooting Ranges

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The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has proposed restrictions on the use of lead ammunition across the EU for hunting and sports shooting. A recent study commissioned by the European Shooting Sports Forum (ESSF) highlights a significant underestimation of the costs associated with upgrading shooting ranges to comply with ECHA’s proposed regulations, amounting to a potential shortfall of €4-5 billion. The study reveals that most ranges across Europe are not equipped to meet these stringent requirements, raising substantial economic and practical concerns. Stakeholders are calling on the European Commission to consider alternative risk management solutions that achieve environmental and health objectives without imposing disproportionate financial burdens on the shooting sports community.

To the article.

Picture: Remy Gieling / unsplash.com

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AECAC in political meetings and at FACE General Assembly in Brussels

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From 24 to 25 September, the presidents of Europe’s national hunting associations, representing over 7 million hunters, met in Brussels for the FACE General Assembly. An important highlight of the event was the election of the new FACE President and the appointment of the FACE Board members.

The FACE members elected Laurens Hoedemaker from the Netherlands as their new president. The AECAC wishes Mr. Hoedemaker all the best for the coming political challenges and thanks the outgoing President Torbjörn Larsson for the many years of good co-operation!

AECAC Secretary-General Peter Brass used the occasion to meet with various associations dealing with firearms law. In addition, there was the opportunity in the European Parliament to find out about the composition of the committees and to meet MEPs. The AECAC was also able to exchange ideas with the responsible officials within the EU Commission. The last national plans for the implementation of the current EU rules are currently being examined. In 2026, the EU Firearms Directive is to be evaluated.

Laurens Hoedemaker and Peter Brass

 “The EU provides the framework for our member companies at the national level. From the beginning of this legislative period, we will therefore hold talks with decision-makers and opinion leaders on firearms law in Brussels to fight for the interests of our member companies,” said AECAC Secretary-General Peter Brass, explaining the association’s political approach.

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Constructive exchange with MEP Christine Schneider (EPP)

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Another stop on the constituency campaign tour took us on the 26th of July to the beautiful district town of Bad Dürkheim in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, to meet with German EPP-MEP Christine Schneider.
We visited one of the town’s oldest craft businesses, Waffen Walther. This traditional company was founded in 1815. The current owner and master gunsmith Patrick Fell-Rathmacher took over the business from the Walther family in 2002.

At EU level, Mrs Schneider focuses on agriculture, forestry and the environment. Following her re-election in June 2024, she became Parliamentary Secretary of the German CDU/CSU group in the European Parliament.
After welcoming us, Mr Fell-Rathmacher gave Mrs Schneider a tour of the shop. We then used the premises of his hunting school to talk to her about current issues such as the Firearms Regulation, the Firearms Directive and ‘lead in ammunition’. Over the past years, the AECAC has been in close contact with MEP Schneider on these issues.

The MEP has been a passionate hunter herself for over 20 years and is very familiar with the debate on European and national firearms legislation. She emphasised that close contact with Brussels is essential, as laws are made there that must be transposed into national law by the member states.

A sense of proportion is particularly important when it comes to implementation. “Over-regulation and unnecessary bureaucracy only hinder the authorities and do not lead to any real increase in safety”, says Schneider. “Legal gun owners and innocent citizens should not be placed under general suspicion”, she continues.

Now that her party-colleague Ursula von der Leyen has been re-elected President of the European Commission, personnel decisions are being made in Brussels and responsibilities are being allocated. As soon as this has happened, it will be necessary to closely monitor how the issues that were not finalised during the last legislative period are dealt with.

We would like to thank MEP Schneider for her time, the intensive discussion and her offer to continue exchanging ideas. 

ChristineSchneider_473

Picture from left to right: Kai Hauck (Waffenbau Hauck), Peter Braß (VDB), Christine Schneider (MEP) and Patrick-Fell-Rathmacher (Waffen Walther)

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Constituency campaign with MEP Norbert Lins at Lake Constance

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After the European elections and while the EU institutions reshuffle their political personnel, we take the opportunity to meet members of parliament in their constituencies. On 12th July, AECAC Secretary General Peter Brass met with MEP Norbert Lins (EPP).
The focus was on setting the course for European policy after the elections in June and the debates on EU firearms legislation and the impending lead ban.

Our exchange with Mr Lins, who chaired the influential Committee on Agriculture in the European Parliament during the last legislative period, took place in one of the most beautiful spots in Germany, at Lake Constance.

NorbertLins_473

Picture from left to right: MEP Norbert Lins, Peter Brass

Lins reported on the preparations to secure the necessary majority for his party colleague Ursula von der Leyen in the European Parliament in mid-July. In view of the election results, talks with various political groups were necessary in order to finalise this important personnel matter before the summer break in Brussels.

The MEP confirmed that the Commission has still not presented its proposal to ban leaded ammunition. However, this is expected in the coming weeks. The rules, transitional periods and requirements would then have to be analyzed in detail. The parliament in Strasbourg and the member states will then have to approve the proposals. Important personnel decisions are currently being made in the European Parliament: Who will take on which office?
Who will sit on which committee?

Norbert Lins strongly advised us to seek dialogue with the new MEPs at an early stage. Peter Brass was able to reassure the MEP: The AECAC will be back in Brussels, the political capital of Europe, for talks in September. One key reason: The European Firearms Directive is to be evaluated as early as next year – possible new legislative proposals from Brussels could then quickly be on the agenda.

‘It is not unlikely that we will see a parliamentary debate on firearms legislation in Brussels and Strasbourg soon, which makes exchanges such as today’s with Mr Lins, whom I would like to thank warmly for the discussion, all the more important,’ said Peter Brass, summarizing the afternoon at Lake Constance.

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