The Single Domestic Arms Market in the EU: The Reality and Prospects

The article deals with basic aspects of application of EU single market rules to arms trade. In particular the author analyses main barriers to free movement of firearms and other types of weapon in inter-EU trade. The author comes to conclusion that the most effective way to cope such obstacles is a harmonization of Member-States legislation on arms trade at EU level. Current EU secondary legislation seeks to eliminate a threats arising from free movement of arms which makes Member States to close national arms markets for foreign goods in order to protect national security. Doing so the EU uses already existing standards of functioning of internal market and at the same time establishes in its secondary legislation legal guaranties providing the same level of security protection in all Member States. Th us importing and exporting Member States are assured that in both states the same EU security standards are observed and as a rule there is no need to apply national norms to protect security and public order.