COMMENT
market has an estimated turnover of between $170 and $320 million a year. Ms Malmstrom concluded
that the solution to the problem lies in a stronger EU policy, in an enhanced information exchange, and all the usual panacea. Much more detail came in
her speech at the opening of a conference in Brussels, which, supposedly, included the leading experts on the topic, though we failed to identify any of the leading academics in the fi eld who have challenged assumptions about the eff ectiveness of gun controls. Ms Malmstrom has no doubt
about such matters. “Firearms still cause widespread death and bodily harm in the EU. “T ey spread fear and
undermine the citizens’ feeling of security, as they are highly visible symbols of the power of criminal groups and they generate large profi ts for criminal groups, increasing their economic power and ability to commit other crime,” she proclaimed. As was to be expected, details
of recent headline-making incidents were paraded – not as a logical and studied description of a problem but without reference to the complexity of the various problems disclosed. More Europol statistics
are quoted to suggest that, worldwide, there are 245,000 murders with fi rearms per year. “It is no exaggeration,” Ms
Malmstrom asserted, “to describe small arms as ‘weapons of mass destruction’.” She described a supposedly
high level of police and customs activities undertaken throughout the EU in the preceding decade, together with various agreements with governments within and without the EU. Ms Malmstrom then
concluded that, despite all the best eff orts over a long period, “there is, simply, no evidence that fi rearms are causing less damage or insecurity in the EU today than, say, fi ve or 10 years ago. T e trend appears, in fact, to go in the opposite direction.”
Pointing the fi nger
Ms Malmstrom identifi ed the most pressing problems. T e top of her list of supposed sources were illegal fi rearms. “Legally owned weapons in the EU continue to feed the illegal market,” she claimed.
She did not present a vestige
of evidence to support this statement but went on to list: “Powerful and highly dangerous weapons continue to be smuggled, apparently without great diffi culty.” She then asserted that the number of illegal fi rearms in the EU far exceeds the number of registered hunters (10 million), making a link that is not supported by evidence. Ms Malmstrom admitted that statistics are hard to come by but she seems to have developed a facility for managing without. Fascinatingly, Ms Malmstrom
asserted that she is not seeking to identify solutions but then proceeded to do just that in the form of questions: Should the EU tighten
controls within its boundaries? Should there be a ban on certain particularly dangerous types of weapons? Should the EU create common rules for deactivation? Should the EU impose security measures on fi rearms so that only the owner can use them?
Any achievement? We can but summarise the
views expressed but some facts stand out. T e legitimate fi rearm users receive no consideration at all. It is alleged that they are a source of weapons used in crime. T is is not so… but Ms Malmstrom sees no need to explore this general area. On a diff erent topic this lady has been promoting an easing of visa requirements to foster the valuable EU tourist industry. She might well have looked at the vast market in shooting tourism where she would see that the bureaucracy involved in travelling with fi rearms is a real disincentive. It is accepted by Ms Malmstrom that what has been done to date has achieved absolutely nothing, yet it is clear that more of the same is being proposed, following the common trend among offi cialdom of assuming that no matter what the problem, bureaucracy must be the answer. T is avoids the need to
properly present and analyse statistics. It also avoids a requirement to take account of the needs and wants of law- abiding citizens. A massive threat to our sport
and trade is building in Europe. We need to be prepared.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76