BASC, the UK’s largest shooting organisation, will attend a key meeting to brief Vicky Ford MEP, who is leading on the European Parliament’s scrutiny of European Commission proposals to amend the Firearms Directive. The meeting will take place in London on Thursday 28th January.
BASC, which has already briefed UK MEPs from all sides of the parliament, will join other groups to raise concerns about the Commission’s proposals, which go much further than their declared aim of combating terrorism.
Stephen Curtis, Director of Operations at BASC, who will be attending the meeting, said:
“BASC fully supports the counter-terrorism agenda. We do not support proposals which damage the legitimate use of firearms for hunting and target shooting.
“Commission proposals could damage British shooting and we are particularly concerned by amendments which might prevent improvements to public safety by blocking enhancements to medical testing and certificate length.
“The proposals could also damage the ability to introduce young people to safe shooting, interfere with the secure trading of firearms in Britain and compromise pest control in the UK by banning semi-automatic small calibre firearms.”
Peter Glenser, a member of BASC Council and a barrister specialising in firearms law, said:
“We welcome Vicky Ford’s commitment to listen to BASC‘s concerns. It’s important to realise that extremist terrorists act outside firearms licensing laws. Bearing down on those who use firearms legally will do nothing to prevent another terrorist outrage.
“BASC urges MEPs to focus on combating terror and distinguish between that and the millions of lawful hunters and sport shooters across Europe.”