EU agrees new firearm trade rules to curb trafficking

FILE PHOTO: European flags fly outside the European Commission headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, September 20, 2023. REUTERS/Yves Herman/File Photo

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union reached provisional agreement on Thursday on new rules to make legitimate trade in firearms more transparent in a bid to combat illegal trafficking and keep arms out of the hands of criminals.

The new rules, agreed by lawmakers and the Belgian EU presidency, will replace a patchwork of different national rules, which have made it difficult to trade firearms and establish ownership.