The Agency for Legislative Initiatives (ALI) took part in expert consultations on the legislative regulation of civilian firearms held this week. The discussion brought together representatives of civil society and think tanks, the military, veteran and legal communities, as well as the media. The meeting was also attended by the leadership of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, MPs of Ukraine who are members of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Law Enforcement, representatives of the NPU, the SSU, the SBI and the Office of the President of Ukraine.
The issue of firearms circulation among civilians remains sensitive and often subject to manipulation. At the same time, its proper regulation is important both for internal security and in the context of Ukraine’s European integration commitments under Chapter 24 of the EU acquis. Work should therefore continue on aligning Draft Law No. 5708 ‘On the Right to Civilian Firearms’ and Draft Law No. 5709 ‘On Amendments to the Code of Ukraine on Administrative Offences and the Criminal Code of Ukraine to Implement the Provisions of the Law of Ukraine “On the Right to Civilian Firearms”’ with European Union law, in particular Directive (EU) 2021/555 of the European Parliament and of the Council on control of the acquisition and possession of weapons.
The discussion also covered the right to self-defence, the classification of permitted types of firearms, clear grounds for their use by civilians and mechanisms for seizure in cases of threatening behaviour or domestic violence. Participants also addressed aspects related to building the necessary infrastructure, including theoretical and practical training, examinations and other requirements.
Olha Piskunova, Expert of the ‘Law and Order’ Area at ALI, emphasised the need for a systemic approach to addressing these issues.
The Agency has been working with the security sector for several years. As part of the Parliamentary Accountability of the Security Sector in Ukraine project (PASS Ukraine), ALI supported the Committee on Law Enforcement and the Committee on National Security, Defence and Intelligence. In partnership with the Parliamentary Centre (Canada), it also organised a study visit of the Law Enforcement Committee to Ottawa, where the key topics included military justice and parliamentary oversight of law enforcement agencies.
Throughout the project, ALI prepared a number of analytical materials, including legislative impact assessments and in-depth studies, on issues considered by the Committee on Law Enforcement. These included Draft Law No. 5708 on the right to civilian firearms, which the Verkhovna Rada adopted in the first reading back in February 2022. A comprehensive assessment of problematic aspects and support in developing optimal legislative solutions in this area will therefore remain an important focus of ALI’s work.
