Desculpe, este conteúdo só está disponível em Inglês (Eua). Por uma questão de conveniência para o utilizador, o conteúdo é mostrado abaixo no idioma alternativo. Pode clicar na ligação para alterar o idioma activo.

How can you fight the #EUAmmoBan?

I mean, its all decided in the Brussels, right? There is nothing you can do. There, you can have your gun, but not any ammunition for it. Have a nice day!

Well, actually – no.

There are normally 3 elements involved in any piece of legislation from Brussels:

• EU Commission: body of authorities, not elected with elections, who have the mandate from EU to propose new legislation and new regulations and to enforce that the member states enforce their rules, once approved as piece of legislation or as a piece of regulation
• The European Parliament: The elected representatives of the people. They are involved to large extent in making a proposal from commission for example into a new piece legislation. For example in firearms directive, the parliament was in a key role in striking down the worst pieces of commissions draconian proposal
• The Council: Basically, in the council the representatives of memberstates, in practice the various ministers whose area of responsibility the area of concern is linked to. In council the opinion of the memberstate is typically voice.

Now, if this were a directive, like #EUGunBan, the outcome would be the whatever compromise the entities above agree to. As you may note, only 1/3 is voicing directly the voice of the citizens. However, now we are not talking about directive because the #EUAmmoBan is commission using the backdoor, meaning implementing it as a regulatory measure.

In practive it should work in “streamlined” and less democratic fashion. This is usually perceived by the firearms owners as less listening the voice of the people and instead showing a new ban down the throats of law abiding people. In case of regulatory action – there is fourth player – in this ECHA – The European Chemicals Agency.

The short version is that the commission asks ECHA, who classifies lead as toxic non-threshold chemical, to perform a scientific study (to which Firearms United has provided material and a statement to), in which ECHA may recommend measures ranging from full ban on lead to less restrictive measures. And Commission may disregard the opinion of ECHA – and propose more stricter regulation if they are not pleased with the outcome of the scientific study.

So how to impact this?

– Contribute to ECHAs study and submit related material which proofs what we pretty much know; lead ends up to backstop of the shooting range and stays there because its not exactly bio-active. Commission may disregard ECHAs scientific opinion if it is not supporting their agenda, but that would still mean one less entity supporting any potential political agenda that commission may or may not have.

– Think global, act local: Act on local national level to influence local politics and local parties. Because when commission proposes #EUAmmoBan, the Council is consulted, and the opinion of the council is the opinion of the member stated.

– Voice your opinion to your members of the European Parliament. The Parliament is consulted also as a part of the process, and the members of the Parliament are aware that this piece of legislation is making people unhappy, and unhappy people are not so good when one needs to get re-elected, the Parliament is more likely to act and stand for te rights of the citizens.

– Be active on Social Media and ensure that everyone and their mother are aware of the new #EUAmmoBan heading your way.

There are many ways to impact – for every one of us. This is not something that can be agreed in the backrooms but something that each of us can impact on many levels – in media, by sharing information, impacting on opinions on local level, letting your elected representatives know your opinion – both at home and in Brussels!

Together we stand, divided we fall.

#EUAmmoBan