BASC looks out for home loaders and pest controllers on EU laws

17 February 2010

Consultation on legislation to transpose the directive on the identification and traceability of explosives for civil uses 2009

Consultation by: Health and Safety Executive
Consultation period: 1 September - 2 November 2009
  BASC Response to consultation on the identification and traceability of explosives for civil uses

Latest news - HSE clarifies that the Directive does not apply to ammunition

On 17 February 2010 the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) published a summary of the consultation responses they received and has clarified that the Directive does not apply to ammunition or to pyrotechnics such as flares and fireworks.

Click here to read the summary of consultation responses on the HSE website

Summary of BASC response to the 2009 consultation

Many shooters and traders rely heavily on the availability of ammunition and its components for home loading of ammunition and for muzzle loading arms. Nitro-cellulose and black powder are extremely important for game shooting, pest control, deerstalking and target shooting.  BASC responded to the consultation to provide advice where necessary so that the draft regulations can be implemented smoothly and with little impact as possible to the ownership, sale and use of explosives for the shooting community.

• BASC strongly supports a full review of explosives legislation.
• BASC seeks clarification as to whether primers and percussion caps for small arms use are caught by the directive; and recommends that they be exempt as ammunition.
• BASC strongly advises that the legislation should not require twists and cartridges to be marked as a small package.
• BASC does not support any extra record keeping than is absolutely necessary
• BASC strongly disagrees with any proposal for barcode or any other electronic tagging systems.

Consultation on the Pyrotechnic Articles (Safety) Regulations 2009

Consultation by: Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
Consultation period: 4 August – 27 October
  BASC Response to consultation on the Pyrotechnic Articles (Safety) Regulations 2009

Summary of response

BASC’s membership includes farmers, gamekeepers, pest controllers and those who work in agriculture, all of whom have a requirement for pyrotechnic articles such as scaring cartridges, rockets and rope bangers and mole smokes, whilst deerstalkers and wildfowlers may need to carry flares and signal smoke. 

The basis for BASC’s interest is that no extra unnecessary burdens should be placed onto UK manufacturers, importers and end users of pyrotechnic articles as a result of misinterpretation of these laws. 

To exempt ammunition from the Pyrotechnics regulations is sensible as to
submit ammunition and blank cartridges to a second test by the UK Notified
body in addition to the proof authorities would be duplication of work and an
unnecessary burden on traders.

FIND OUT MORE FROM MATT PERRING (for members only)

BASC’s Firearms & Explosives Officer, Matt Perring, leads on this policy issue for BASC. 

Click here to contact the Firearms Team

 

 

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