Citation(s) from the GunPolicy.org literature library
European Parliament. 2021 ‘Articles 16.’ Directive (EU) 2021/555 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 March 2021 on control of the acquisition and possession of weapons (codification); Chapter 3 (Arts. 16-18). Brussels: European Union. 24 March
Relevant contents
Article 16
1. Firearms may, without prejudice to Article 17, be transferred from one Member State to another only in accordance
with the procedure laid down in this Article. That procedure shall also apply in respect of transfers of firearms following a sale by means of a distance contract as defined in point (7) of Article 2 of Directive 2011/83/EU.
2. Where a firearm is to be transferred to another Member State, the person concerned shall, before it is taken there,
supply the following particulars to the Member State in which such firearm is situated:
(a) the names and addresses of the person selling or disposing of the firearm and of the person purchasing or acquiring it or, where appropriate, of the owner;
(b) the address to which the firearm is to be consigned or transported;
(c) the number of firearms to be consigned or transported;
(d) the particulars enabling the firearm to be identified and also an indication that the firearm has undergone a check in
accordance with the 1969 Convention;
(e) the means of transfer;
(f) the date of departure and the estimated date of arrival.
The information referred to in points (e) and (f) need not be supplied where the transfer takes place between dealers.
The Member State shall examine the conditions under which the transfer of the firearm is to be carried out, in particular
with regard to security.
Where the Member State authorises such transfer, it shall issue a licence incorporating all the particulars referred to in the first subparagraph. Such licence shall accompany the firearm until it reaches its destination; it shall be produced whenever so required by the authorities of the Member States.
3. In the case of the transfer of firearms, other than weapons of war, excluded from the scope of this Directive pursuant
to Article 2(2), each Member State may grant dealers the right to effect transfers of firearms from its territory to a dealer
established in another Member State without the prior authorisation referred to in paragraph 2 of this Article. To that end, it shall issue an authorisation valid for no more than three years, which may at any time be suspended or cancelled by reasoned decision. A document referring to that authorisation shall accompany the firearm until it reaches its destination.
That document shall be produced whenever so required by the authorities of the Member States.
Prior to the date of transfer, the dealer shall communicate to the authorities of the Member State from which the transfer is to be effected all the particulars listed in the first subparagraph of paragraph 2. Those authorities shall carry out inspections, where appropriate on the spot, to verify the correspondence between the information communicated by the dealer and the actual characteristics of the transfer. The information shall be communicated by the dealer within a period allowing sufficient time.
4. Each Member State shall supply the other Member States with a list of firearms the transfer of which to its territory
may be authorised without its prior consent.
Such lists of firearms shall be communicated to dealers who have obtained approval for transferring firearms without prior authorisation under the procedure laid down in paragraph 3.