Fight Organized Crime Against Light Small Firearms

ended

National Firearms Focal Points (NFFPs) have been identified in different key instruments at EU level as essential for development of different EU policies, strategies and operational plans in order to fight against firearms threat, from different angles, involving mainly legal control, intelligence, ballistic data&analysis, investigation and prevention at strategic and operational level. This project FOCAL-SF (Fight Organized Crime Against Light Small Firearms) is aiming to develop the National Firearms Focal Points in the countries of the UE, mainly in three Member States: Spain, Portugal and Romania, as a pilot standardization of development of established NFFPs within Member States and synergies and potential development of NFFPs in third countries. By development of different activities, the project is expected to improve the coordination of different actions and initiatives in the fight against firearms trafficking, exploiting synergies and enhancing interoperability between relevant databases, giving a special attention to the outcomes of joint initiatives and operational actions between Member States and third countries, mainly Western Balkans and MENA countries. The operational dimension of the project will be reinforced by fostering the development of two operational actions (OAs) of EMPACT FIREARMS: OA dedicated to the creation and development of NFFPs and OA dedicated to online investigations of firearms trafficking, also in thrid countries participating in the project. Finally, another important output will be a study at European level of the state of play of key European countries for further implementation of NFFPs, following standards of EU and United Nations (UN).