Swiss gun rights campaigners have said that EU measures to tighten gun control could disadvantage thousands of law-abiding citizens.

The proposed gun restrictions which Switzerland, a non-EU member, would be obliged to implement under cross border agreements, has raised alarm among the Swiss.

The proposed measure would curb online weapons sales and impose more restrictions on assault weapons and was drafted after the Isis terrorist attacks in Paris last November that killed scores of people.

Switzerland has one of the highest rates of private gun ownership in Europe, with nearly 48 per cent of households owning a gun. In France, there are about 30 weapons per 100 people, while the figure in the UK is far lower, at 6.7 guns per 100 civilians.

RELATED CONTENT

Switzerland's grassroots gun lobby ProTELL said it is prepared to call for a referendum on the EU proposal, if necessary.

"With our direct democracy, Swiss people are accustomed to having the last word," said ProTell's Dominik Riner. "We're opposed to any and all efforts to make current weapons laws more restrictive."

Meanwhile, the Commission has been asked to clarify what types of firearms will be affected by the new EU-wide gun laws.

British MEP Vicky Ford has written to the executive requesting specific information relating to the revision of the EU firearms directive.

Ford, who chairs Parliament's internal market committee, said it was important that "clarity can be given" to citizens as to which concrete types of firearms would be affected by the proposal.

Earlier this week, the committee gave the green light for the opening of the negotiations with member states on the revision of the directive by 24 votes to three, with five abstentions.

The three-way talks between Parliament, Council and Commission negotiators are due to start at the end of this month.

The amendments to the proposed revision were approved in the committee on 13 July.

Ford, an ECR group member, is Parliament's rapporteur on the issue and will lead the negotiations with the Slovak EU Council presidency.

She said, "The Paris and Charlie Hebdo attacks highlighted the potential dangers of blank firing or 'acoustic' weapons being reactivated. We have taken action to close that loophole and make it more difficult for these firearms to fall into the hands of terrorists who use them for such bloody carnage."

She added, "The Commission's proposal was poorly drafted in many parts. We have tried to take into consideration all the concerns of law-abiding citizens to make sure that they can continue with their sports, military enactments and traditional hunting."

Read the most recent articles written by Martin Banks - New Special Committee on Foreign Interference elects Raphaël Glucksmann as chair