Important to all airsoft players of Europe. Your action is required! NOW!
After the horrific attacks in Paris the the European Commission has expressed the desire to adopt:
* Compulsory Registration for Airsoft Replica's
Not registering you airsoft replica's will result in criminal penalties and a criminal record.
The European Commission wants to amend the EU firearms directive so as to classify any replica with the form of a firearm as a Category C weapon, this would mean they would at a minimum fall into the same category as most hunting rifles and shotguns in your respective home countries.
Needless to say with the amount of airsoft replica's on the market such a measure would be turning millions of EU citizens in to criminals over night. Airsoft players are in no responsible for the attacks in Paris! And you cannot stop terrorists by punishing law abiding EU citizens!
Airsofters: You can do something!
The European Commission is asking for comments on the proposal so let the European Commission know what you think in your own words
Link: https://ec.europa.eu/transparency/regdoc/?fuseaction=feedback&docId=3085376
Your main demand should be that:
Non convertible replica's should not be placed in Category C of directive 91/477/EEC
Your talking points need to polite and to the point and could for instance address:
- Airsoft players are not responsible for terrorism.
- You cannot covert airsoft replica's in to real firearms.
- The EU would turn millions of EU citizens in to criminals.
- The cost of such an EU wide system would be astronomical.
- It would take way police capacity away from actual terrorist investigations.
- It would punish law abiding EU citizens for Terrorism.
- Airsoft replica's are safe
- Terrorists are not worried by things like registration anyway.
- Such a database would never be complete considering there are tens of millions of replica's in the EU.
Fellow airsofters do not wast time and start sending you comments to the EU RIGHT NOW !
Numbers are important so make sure as many people as possible send in their comments.
Icarus van der Kolk, Board of directors NABV (Dutch Airsoft Association).
UPDATE: Please use #airsoftineurope to support this campaign!
UPDATE 2: Please see the official EAA video statement below!