Instituut Clingendael - Netherlands institute of International Relations Before its time runs out, the Dutch Presidency of the EU wants the Council to take the pledge on a series of restrictive proposals

According to the contents of the most recent document, heavily criticized by FACE but nonetheless approved at the COREPER meeting of June 8th with only the Czech Republic opposing it, the Dutch Presidency of the EU would want the Council to adopt as follows:

• A ban on all semi-automatic long guns shorter than sixty centimetres overall or that can be shortened down to that threshold through the use of a "stock that is folding, collapsing, or easily removable without tools".

• A ban on all those semi-automatic long guns capable to accept detachable or fixed magazines holding more than 11 rounds, as well as said detachable or fixed magazines.

• A ban on all those semi-automatic handguns capable to accept detachable or fixed magazines holding more than 21 rounds, as well as said detachable or fixed magazines.

• Abolition of Category D, meaning that firearms such break-barrel single-shot shotguns and muzzleloading replicas of antique firearms would be heavily regulated.

• Mandatory registration of alarm guns and deactivated firearms.

• Mandatory three-years or five-years epiry of all gun licenses and "constant medical supervision" of gun owners.

• Provisions for "safe storage" of firearms would make them potentially useless should the owners face a sudden home invasion.

• While an exemption from the above-mentioned bans would be granted to "sport shooters", those would have to be mandatorily members of an authorized shooting federation.

• "Sporting guns" exempt from the ban should be identified as such by an authorized shooting federation that's recognized by ISSF, meaning that potentially no firearm other than Olympic shooting guns would be "sporting guns" anymore.