On Friday, February 28, 2025, our annual general meeting took place at the IWA in Nuremberg, Germany. AECAC President Michael Blendinger was pleased to welcome new members from Austria and Romania again this year. However, the political pressure continues to increase: From the threat of a ban on lead ammunition to a possible revision of the EU Firearms Directive.
Brussels will become even more important for the national associations this year. Unlike in the defense sector, where the aim is to massively expand capacities in Europe, the sign is pointing to further restrictions in the area of civilian legal weapons.
The EU Commission’s recent proposal on the ban on lead ammunition underlines the political demand for more and faster restrictions. The participants were informed about the current plans by guest speaker David Scallan, Secretary General of the European Hunting Association FACE.
In autumn 2025, a new directive on arms trafficking is also to be published. Here, too, the industry must pay close attention to ensure that there are meaningful improvements in security, but not additional bureaucratic effort for those companies that already comply with all the rules.
The question of how the European Commission intends to further develop the Firearms Directive will also be of great importance. These are all issues on which national associations need to work closely together at European level.
“I am very pleased that we were able to discuss the common challenges so intensively and so unanimously in Nuremberg. The upcoming political issues will be challenging, but the AECAC is well equipped for them,” said AECAC President Michael Blendinger, summarizing his impressions from Nuremberg.
New admission of the Austrian member Internationaler Schützenbund (ISB)
f.l.t.r. Angelos Pitsillides (AECAC-Vice President); Michael Blendinger (AECAC-President); Rüdiger Gruber (ISB-President); Michael Kleinböck (ISB-Treasurer)