The European Commission said on Wednesday that it adopted measures to make it more difficult to acquire and possess firearms in the European Union.

The proposals, which have to be approved by the European Council and the European Parliament, aim to improve tracking of legally possessed firearms, make information exchange among EU member states more efficient, and ensure that deactivated firearms are rendered inoperable, the Commission said in a statement.

European Commsiion President Jean-Claude Juncker commented: "The recent terrorist attacks on Europe's people and values were coordinated across borders, showing that we must work together to resist these threats. Today's proposal […] will help us tackle the threat of weapons falling into the hands of terrorists.”

A special action plan to tackle illicit arms trafficking will be proposed by the EU Commission “in the near future”, Juncker said.

The proposed measures include a ban on private personal possession of certain semi-automatic firearms, tighter rules on the online purchase of firearms, parts and ammunition, introduction of common rules on marking to improve the traceability of firearms as well as introduction of obligation to interconnect national registers of weapons.

The future action plan against the illegal trafficking of weapons and explosives will tackle the illegal purchase of weapons on the black market, the control of illegal weapons and explosives in the internal market (especially from the Balkan countries or ex-war zones), and the fight against organised crime, the European Commission said.

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