Violence with firearms: Incidents, Seizures and Trafficking of Arms

ongoing

The current proliferation of illicit firearms in EU Member States (EUMS) and the EU Neighbourhood increases the risk of their use in terrorist attacks, organised crime and other acts of violence in public spaces. Yet, despite sustained efforts toward improving the intelligence picture in Europe, it remains patchy. The lack of systematic and harmonized seizure data collection is also a constraint for information exchange. Project VISTA aims to support the Commission in fulfilling the objectives of the 2020-2025 EU Action Plan on Firearms Trafficking by improving the overall intelligence picture at the EU level related to incidents involving firearms, including gun incidents and seizures of firearms. VISTA will contribute to enhancing the capabilities of law enforcement agencies to pressure criminal markets through technological developments and toolkits and assist the improvement of international cooperation between EUMS and non-EU member states in efforts to reduce the proliferation of illicit firearms in the EU. VISTA will carry out various activities to contribute to the implementation of the EU Action Plan on Firearms Trafficking, and in particular to building a better intelligence picture: - Upgrading, testing and expanding a real-time tool for firearms-related incidents and seizures across the EU and non-EU countries; - Promoting the harmonisation of firearms seizure data and interconnections at the EU level; - Supporting EUMS in creating or updating their national IT systems to store and exchange data on seized firearms through research products; - Conducting research studies on various aspects of gun violence, firearms seizures and trafficking across the EU. Project VISTA will boost cooperation between the EU and its neighbourhood countries through knowledge exchange, which seeks to develop strategic level buy-in and enhance capacity to operationalise beneficiaries toward achieving Priorities 2, 3 and 4 of the EU Action Plan on Firearms Trafficking.