Europese Overeenkomst inzake de controle op de verwerving en het bezit van vuurwapens door particulieren

For the purposes of this Convention:
a. “firearm” has the meaning assigned to it in Appendix I to this Convention;
b. “person” shall also mean a legal person having a place of business in the territory of a Contracting Party;
c. “dealer” means a person whose trade or business consists wholly or partly in the manufacture, sale, purchase, exchange or hire of firearms;
d. “resident” refers to a person who has habitual residence in the territory of a Contracting Party within the meaning of Rule No. 9 of the Annex to Resolution (72) 1 of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe.

The Contracting Parties undertake to afford each other mutual assistance through the appropriate administrative authorities in the suppression of illegal traffic in firearms and in the tracing and locating of firearms transferred from the territory of one State to the territory of another.

Each Contracting Party shall remain free to prescribe laws and regulations concerning firearms provided that such laws and regulations are not incompatible with the provisions of this Convention.

This Convention does not apply to any transaction concerning firearms to which all the parties are States or acting on behalf of States.

1. If a firearm situate within the territory of a Contracting Party is sold, transferred or otherwise disposed of to a person resident in the territory of another Contracting Party, the former Party shall notify the latter in the manner provided in Articles 8 and 9.
2. For the purpose of the application of the provisions of paragraph 1 of this Article, each Contracting Party shall take the steps necessary to ensure that any person who sells, transfers or otherwise disposes of a firearm situate within its territory shall furnish particulars of the transaction to the competent authorities of that Party.

If a firearm situate within the territory of a Contracting Party is transferred permanently and without change in the possession thereof to the territory of another Contracting Party, the former Party shall notify the latter in the manner provided in Articles 8 and 9.

The notifications referred to in Articles 5 and 6 shall also be made to the Contracting Parties through whose territory a firearm passes in transit when the State from whose territory it is sent deems such information to be useful.

1. The notifications referred to in Articles 5, 6 and 7 shall be made as expeditiously as possible. The Contracting Parties shall use their best endeavours to ensure that notification is made prior to the transaction or the transfer to which it relates, failing which it shall be made as soon as possible thereafter.
2. The notifications referred to in Articles 5, 6 and 7 shall, in particular, indicate:
a. the identity, the number of passport or identity card and the address of the person to whom the firearm in question is sold, transferred or otherwise disposed of or of the person who is transferring a firearm permanently to the territory of another Contracting Party without change of possession;
b. the type, make and characteristics of the firearm in question as well as its number or any other distinguishing mark.

1. The notifications referred to in Articles 5, 6 and 7 shall be made between such national authorities as the Contracting Parties shall designate.
2. When appropriate the notifications may be sent through the International Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol).
3. Any State shall, at the time of depositing its instrument of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession, by declaration addressed to the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, indicate the authority to which notifications should be addressed. It shall forthwith notify the Secretary General of the Council of Europe of any subsequent modification of the identity of such authorities.

I. Each Contracting Party shall take the measures appropriate to ensure that no firearm situate within its territory is sold, transferred or otherwise disposed of to a person not resident there who has not first obtained authorisation from the competent authorities of the said Contracting Party.
2. This authorisation shall not be granted unless the competent authorities shall first have been satisfied that an authorisation in respect of the transaction in question has been granted to the said person by the competent authorities of the Contracting Party in which he is resident.
3. If this person takes possession of the firearm in the territory of the Contracting Party in which the transaction takes place, the authorisation referred to in paragraph 1 shall only be granted on the terms and conditions on which an authorisation would be granted in a transaction involving residents of the Contracting Party concerned. If the firearm is immediately exported, the authorities referred to in paragraph 1 are only obliged to ascertain that the authorities of the Contracting Party in which the said person is a resident have authorised this particular transaction or such transactions in general.
4. The authorisations referred to in paragraphs 1 and 2 of this Article may be replaced by an international licence.

Any State shall, at the time of depositing its instrument of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession, specify which of its authorities is competent to issue the authorisations referred to in paragraph 2 of Article 10. It shall forthwith notify the Secretary General of the Council of Europe of any subsequent modification of the identity of such authorities.

1. This Convention shall be open to signature by the member States of the Council of Europe. It shall be subject to ratification, acceptance or approval. Instruments of ratification, acceptance or approval shall be deposited with the Secretary General of the Council of Europe.
2. The Convention shall enter into force on the first day of the month following the expiration of three months after the date of the deposit of the third instrument of ratification, acceptance or approval.
3. In respect of any signatory State ratifying, accepting or approving it subsequently, the Convention shall come into force on the first day of the month following the expiration of three months after the date of the deposit of its instrument of ratification, acceptance or approval.

1. After the entry into force of this Convention, the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe may invite any non-member State to accede thereto. The decision containing this invitation shall be in accordance with Article 20.d of the Statute of the Council of Europe and receive the unanimous agreement of the member States of the Council of Europe which are Contracting Parties to the Convention.
2. Such accession shall be effected by depositing with the Secretary General of the Council of Europe an instrument of accession which shall take effect three months after the date of its deposit.

1. Any State may, at the time of signature or when depositing its instrument of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession, specify the territory or territories to which this Convention shall apply.
2. Any State may, when depositing its instrument of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession or at any later date, by declaration addressed to the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, extend this Convention to any other territory or territories specified in the declaration and for whose international relations it is responsible or on whose behalf it is authorised to give undertaking.
3. Any declaration made in pursuance of the preceding paragraph may, in respect of any territory mentioned in such declaration, be withdrawn by means of a notification addressed to the Secretary General. Such withdrawal shall take effect six months after the date of receipt by the Secretary General of such notification.

1. Any State may, at the time of signature or when depositing its instrument of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession, declare that it avails itself of one or more of the reservations provided for in Appendix II to this Convention.
2. Any Contracting Party may wholly or partly withdraw a reservation it has made in accordance with the foregoing paragraph by means of a declaration addressed to the Secretary General of the Council of Europe which shall become effective as from the date of its receipt.
3. A Contracting Party which has made a reservation in accordance with paragraph I of this Article may not claim the application by any other Party of the provision on which the reservation has been made; it may, however, if its reservation is partial or conditional, claim the application of that provision insofar as it has itself accepted it.

1. The Contracting Parties may not conclude bilateral or multilateral agreements with one another on the matters dealt with in this Convention, except in order to supplement its provisions or facilitate application of the principles embodied in it.
2. However, should two or more Contracting Parties establish or have already established their relations in this matter on the basis of uniform legislation or a special system of their own, providing for more extensive obligations, they shall be entitled to regulate those relations accordingly notwithstanding the provisions of this Convention.
3. Contracting Parties ceasing in accordance with paragraph 2 of this Article to apply the terms of this Convention to their mutual relations in this matter shall notify the Secretary General of the Council of Europe to that effect.

1. The European Committee on Crime Problems of the Council of Europe shall be kept informed regarding the application of this Convention and shall do whatever is needful to facilitate a friendly settlement of any difficulty which may arise out of its execution.
2. The European Committee on Crime Problems may, in the light of future technical, social and economic developments, formulate and submit to the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe proposals designed to amend or supplement the provisions of this Convention and in particular to alter the contents of Appendix I.

1. In the event of war or other exceptional circumstances any Contracting Party may make rules temporarily derogating from the provisions of this Convention and having immediate effect. It shall forthwith notify the Secretary General of the Council of Europe of any such derogation and of its cesser.
2. Any Contracting Party may denounce this Convention by means of a notification addressed to the Secretary General of the Council of Europe. Such denunciation shall take effect six months after the date of receipt by the Secretary General of such notification.

The Secretary General of the Coucil of Europe shall notify the member States of the Council and any State that has acceded to this Convention of:
a. any signature;
b. any deposit of an instrument of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession;
c. any date of entry into force of this Convention in accordance with Articles 12 and 13;
d. any declaration or notification received in pursuance of the provisions of Article 9, paragraph 3;
e. any declaration or notification received in pursuance of the provisions of Article 11;
f. any declaration or notification received in pursuance of the provisions of Article 14;
g. any reservation made in pursuance of the provisions of Article 15, paragraph 1;
h. the withdrawal of any reservation made in pursuance of the provisions of Article 15, paragraph 2;
i. any notification received in pursuance of the provisions of Article 16, paragraph 3, and concerning uniform legislation or a special system;
j. any notification received in pursuance of the provisions of Article 18, paragraph 1, and the date on which the derogation is made or ceases, as the case may be;
k. any notification received in pursuance of the provisions of Article 18, paragraph 2, and the date on which denunciation takes effect.

Voor de toepassing van deze Overeenkomst:
a. heeft de term „vuurwapen” de betekenis die in Bijlage I bij deze Overeenkomst daaraan wordt toegekend;
b. wordt onder „persoon” tevens verstaan een rechtspersoon die een vestiging heeft op het grondgebied van een Overeenkomstsluitende Partij;
c. wordt onder „wapenhandelaar” verstaan een persoon wiens beroepswerkzaamheden geheel of gedeeltelijk bestaan uit de vervaardiging, verkoop, aankoop, uitwisseling of verhuur van vuurwapens;
d. wordt onder „ingezetene” verstaan een persoon die zijn gewone verblijfplaats heeft op het grondgebied van een Overeenkomstsluitende Partij, in de zin van Voorschrift nr. 9 van de Bijlage bij Resolutie (72) 1 van het Comité van Ministers van de Raad van Europa.