Firearm News
Belgium Sees Growing Interest of Young People in Shooting
23 May 2022
Sud Info (Belgium)
According to the latest figures from the Central Weapons Register, almost 170,000 private individuals own weapons in Belgium! The number of declared weapons has increased again and Hainaut remains the most armed province in the country.
Weapons continue to be popular in Belgium. According to the latest figures provided by the Minister of Justice, 678,592 weapons are registered in our country and they are held by 168,349 individuals, which amounts to an average of 4... (GunPolicy.org)
Legal Firearm Registrations on the Up in Belgium
23 May 2022
Brussels Times
As of 2022, 678,592 registered firearms are held by 168,349 people in Belgium, an increase of over 8,000 new registered weapons, according to statistics obtained from the Ministry of Justice by Belgian newspaper Sud Press.
In other words, the average gun licence holder has around 4 weapons. Hainaut, in Wallonia, remains the most heavily-armed area in Belgium, also explained by the large number of shooting clubs and historical shooting traditions, such as pole... (GunPolicy.org)
Tens of Thousands of People in Flanders Consider Buying a Gun
8 June 2021
Brussels Times
In Flanders, tens of thousands of people said they would consider buying a firearm for the first time or again, citing feelings of insecurity as playing the biggest role in this, according to research by the Flemish Peace Institute published on Tuesday.
The survey of 2,500 adults in Flanders found that 4% said they were considering the purchase of a firearm, more so because of the conviction that in certain circumstances, people should be able to take the law into... (GunPolicy.org)
Belgium Melts Down Over 22,000 Firearms Into Recycled Steel
30 April 2021
Reuters
BRUSSELS - Belgian authorities this week destroyed more than 22,000 guns collected by police, melting them down into some 60 tonnes of recycled steel.
About half of the firearms were collected from across the country, principally handed in by owners, some of whom had inherited but not wanted to keep them, Carina van Cauter, the governor of East Flanders province, said in a statement.
The other half were outdated police weapons.
"The result is impressive: 22,457... (GunPolicy.org)
800,000 Firearms in Circulation in Belgium
9 June 2018
Brussels Times (Belgium)
Vlaams Vredesinstituut, the Flemish Parliament's opinion poll and research organisation, has said there are currently 781,419 guns registered in Belgium. "That's more than in 2006, when the laws on guns became tighter and owners of illegal weapons were free to hand them in with no fear of penalties", researcher Nils Duquet told the Het Belang van Limburg.
After the new gun laws came into effect, the number of registered weapons dropped from 778,585 in 2006 to 707,869... (GunPolicy.org)
Firearm Registration Up 100% to 747,888 Guns in Belgium [FR]
22 November 2016
Derniere Heure (Brussels)
[Translated summary: In five years, applications for firearm possession in Belgium increased by 100%. The Walloon region is the most armed with 347,113 firearms, followed by Flanders with 324,580. Brussells has 76,205 registered firearms. According to the authorities, the main reason given by new applicants is sport shooting.]
Il y a plus d'armes en Wallonie qu'en Flandre.
Phénomène de société, crainte inspirée par le terrorisme, réaction à une législation... (GunPolicy.org)
Oman,Belgium,Saudi Arabia,United Arab Emirates
Belgium Enjoys Record Year of Arms, Gun Sales to Saudi Arabia
20 September 2016
Brussells Times
Saudi Arabia bought 60% of Walloon weapons sold in 2015.
This is per the report of the "Weapons" sub-commission of the Wallonia parliament on export licences granted or refused during the last year. Le Soir is reporting this today (Tuesday).
Wallonia has never exported so many arms to Riyadh.
Saudi Arabia has only accounted for 34 export licences of the 1,369 delivered from 68 countries across the whole of the year.
However, these contracts represent a total of... (GunPolicy.org)
Saudi Arabia Main Importer of Guns Made in Belgium [FR]
20 September 2016
RT-TV Novosti (Russia)
[Translated summary: According to a report by the firearms commission of the Walloon parliament, in 2015 Ryad was the main importer of arms manufactured in the Belgian region. Saudia Arabia has purchased a total of 575.8 million EUR in weapons, including firearms, cannons, mortars, ammunition, rockets and armoured vehicles.]
Selon un rapport de la commission sur les armes du parlement wallon, Ryad a été, en 2015, le premier importateur d'armes produites dans la... (GunPolicy.org)
China,Russia,France,Ukraine,United Kingdom,Saudi Arabia,Yemen,Israel,Bahrain,Belgium,Oman,Turkmenistan,United Arab Emirates
UK, Second Largest Gun Exporter, Arms the Middle East [FR]
5 September 2016
Sputnik News
[Translated summary: The United Kingdom is the second largest exporter of arms. Between 2010 and 2015, the UK has sold weapons worth 10 million pounds to Oman, Turkmenistan and the United Arab Emirates, countries that are classified as "Non-free" by the Freedom House NGO. Other countries that buy from the UK are Saudi Arabia and Israel.]
Le Royaume-Uni est le deuxième plus grand exportateur d'armes du monde sur les 10 dernières années et devant des pays comme la... (GunPolicy.org)
Police in Belgium Can Now Carry Guns On and Off Duty [FR]
17 August 2016
Radio Télévision Belge Francophone (Belgium)
[Translated summary: A Royal Decree in Belgium will authorize police officers to carry arms in their off-duty hours. This measure will be temporary and in the context of self-defence. Also, in the future, unarmed police officers will not patrol alone.]
Les représentants des ministres de la Justice et de l'Intérieur, des polices locales et fédérales ainsi que les quatre organisations syndicales se sont réunis toute la journée. Sur la table de négociations : le... (GunPolicy.org)
Legal Gun Ownership Rises Each Year in Belgium [FR]
24 May 2016
Derniere Heure (Brussels)
[Translated summary: Despite strict laws, the number legally owned firearms increases from 1 to 2% every year in Belgium. Applicants must have a clean criminal record, pass a background check and also have a genuine reason to own a gun. Possible reasons are: hunting, sport, personal defence only for people with a specific risk, putting together a historical collection or participating in historical or folkloric activities.]
Malgré une législation stricte, le nombre... (GunPolicy.org)
Belgium Issued 2,959 Licences for Gun Possession in 2015 [FR]
20 May 2016
Le Soir (Belgium)
[Translated summary: At 31 December 2015, 769,120 guns were registered and legally held in Belgium. This number rises about 1% or 2% every year. 2,959 licences were issued in 2015 in Brabant, 67% more than in 2013. Most of them were requested by sport shooters.]
Le nombre d'armes à feu augmente de 1 ou 2 % chaque année. En Brabant, 2.959 autorisations de détention ont été délivrées en 2015. Soit 34 % de plus qu'en 2014. Par rapport à 2013, l'augmentation est... (GunPolicy.org)
Belgium Main EU Exporter of Guns to Middle East [FR]
6 May 2016
Sud Info (Belgium)
[Translated summary: A report from the EU on firearm exports indicates that Belgium was, in 2014, the largest European exporter of firearms and the second largest exporter of ammunition to the Middle East, specially Saudi Arabia. The country exported 259,9 million Euros worth of firearms and 187,9 million Euros in ammunition during 2014.]
Ce classement ressort du rapport annuel de l'Union européenne sur les exportations d'armes. Officiellement, la Belgique se situe... (GunPolicy.org)
How Belgium Legislates for Gun Control [FR]
10 April 2016
RTBF (Belgium)
[Translated summary: In 2006, Belgium tightened its legislation on firearm possession by creating three categories of firearms: A for 'prohibited firearms', B for 'firearms available over the counter', C for 'firearms subject to authorisation'. In 2013, the government prohibited the over-the-counter selling of antique, folk and decorative firearms.]
Ce week-end, aux États-Unis, le "National Rifle Association", l'association qui a pour but de promouvoir les armes à... (GunPolicy.org)
Lax Gun Tracing and Registration in Belgium - Experts [FR]
20 March 2016
Le Soir (Belgique)
[Translated summary: According to a retired Commissioner, Belgium lacks transparency in terms of gun numbers; Police reports are outdated; the Firearms Act is unreadable; Police and Customs are under-funded and under-equipped to fight arms trafficking.]
1. La Belgique n'a pas de vision, pas de chiffres
Personne n'est capable d'estimer aujourd'hui combien d'armes illégales circulent en Belgique. « On a bien une vue sur la détention légale, on n'a absolument aucune... (GunPolicy.org)
Still 117,000 Unregistered Firearms in Belgium [FR]
7 March 2016
RTBF (Belgium)
[Translated summary: Ten years after the introduction of the Firearms Act, 647,388 firearms have been registered in the Central Firearms Register. Before the entry into force of the Act, 889,937 firearms had been registered. An Amnesty allowed to collect and destroy 125,000 firearms. 117,000 firearms would thus still be in circulation.]
Dix ans après l'introduction de la loi sur les armes, 647 388 d'entre elles ont été enregistrées au registre central des armes,... (GunPolicy.org)
Belgium Leads Western Europe in Gun-Related Homicides
25 June 2015
The Bulletin (Belgium)
More than 11% of families in Belgium possess a firearm, one of the highest numbers in Western Europe, reports Knack.be. This can have dramatic consequences, according to a new report published yesterday by the Flemish Peace Institute, which concludes that "countries with more firearms have more firearm deaths".
Every year, about 6,700 people are killed with a firearm in the European Union, with suicide accounting for 5,000 of these deaths. The European Commission had... (GunPolicy.org)
France,Slovakia,Denmark,Belgium,Spain,Czech Republic
Charlie Hebdo Killers Bought Their Guns Legally in Europe
18 February 2015
Euronews (France)
The automatic rifles used in the terrorist attacks in Paris last month may have been decommissioned weapons legally bought in Slovakia and reconverted to fire live ammunition, Euronews can reveal.
French police are exploring whether weapons used in the deadly assaults on the Charlie Hebdo offices and at a Kosher supermarket were purchased in a shop inside the European Union, according to a joint investigation with the Slovakian Nový čas newspaper.
The weapons are... (GunPolicy.org)
Nicaragua,Peru,Haiti,Dominican Republic,Cuba,Mexico,Honduras,Guatemala,Turkey,El Salvador,United States,Russia,Austria,Belgium,Colombia,Brazil,Czech Republic,Germany,Israel,Venezuela,Italy,Spain
16 January 2015
Los Angeles Times, Opinion
During the 1980s, El Salvador was the single largest recipient of U.S. military hardware and weaponry in the Western Hemisphere. Although the Central American country's civil war ended in 1992, the guns, grenades and bullets linger, as do their murderous effects. In September, a U.S. official from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives estimated that half the weapons available on El Salvador's vibrant black market were made in the United... (GunPolicy.org)
South America,Central America,Caribbean,Cuba,United States,Russia,Nicaragua,Israel,El Salvador,Honduras,Europe,Belgium,Czech Republic,Germany,Italy,South Africa,Spain,Colombia,Mexico,Venezuela,Brazil,Argentina,Chile,Paraguay,Panama,Ecuador
Small Arms Trade a 'Dramatic Threat' to Latin America
13 October 2014
NACLA
Small arms and gun violence present the most dramatic threat to public safety in Latin America and the Caribbean. After decades of uncontrolled proliferation, at least 45 million to 80 million small arms and light weapons—that is, weapons operated by an individual or small group, including handguns, assault rifles, grenades, grenade launchers, and even man portable surface to air missiles—are circulating throughout the region.(1) Gunshots kill between 73,000 and... (GunPolicy.org)