The EU Commission aims to curb illegal arms trade by introducing uniform minimum maximum penalties across all 27 member states. Trading illegal weapons would carry up to eight years in prison, possession five years. The initiative prepares for potential risks following the end of the war in Ukraine.
Europe currently features a patchwork of 27 different arms laws, providing loopholes for criminals in illegal arms trade. On Thursday, the EU Commission presented a proposal to address this. It calls for EU-wide minimum maximum penalties: at least eight years imprisonment for illegal arms trading, five years for possession of illegal weapons and ammunition. Removing the engraved serial number on a weapon would be punishable by at least four years.
Penalties currently vary greatly between countries. In Germany, the maximum sentence for illegal arms trade and possession is five years. In Cyprus, in December 2025, a mother and her son were sentenced to twelve years each for attempting to import firearms and ammunition.
The directive also targets risks from the potential end of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine. “A possible end to the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine can also bring new risks, because criminal networks will try to profit from it,” EU Commissioner Magnus Brunner told the RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland (RND). “We must be prepared for that – including a possible increase in illegal arms trade.” Experts fear weapons of unclear origin will circulate in Europe, in addition to the over 600,000 firearms reported stolen or lost in the EU.
New technologies are particularly addressed. “For new technologies like 3D printers that are misused for illegal firearm production, we need EU-wide new rules,” Brunner emphasized. He proposes penalties of up to two years for 3D printing weapon parts and distributing such blueprints. In Germany and other EU states, only possession of such weapons is currently punishable, not the distribution of plans. By comparison, Canada imposes up to ten years and Australia up to 14 years imprisonment.
An analysis by the EU Parliament's think tank notes that 3D printing technologies have rapidly advanced, from simple pistols to semi-automatic machine guns. These 'ghost weapons' without serial numbers pose a high risk for security authorities as they are hard to trace.
