Belgium Weapons from the 3D printer: EU Commission wants new rules
The EU Commission is proposing a new regulation for 3D-printed weapons. According to the proposal, anyone who posts blueprints online or distributes them illegally in any other way would be punished with at least two years' imprisonment.
26.02.2026, 14:46
SDA
Anyone who creates, acquires or possesses a blueprint for a weapon from a 3D printer without authorization is also liable to prosecution under the proposal.
EU Commissioner for Home Affairs Brunner: close the loophole in the law
"Organized criminals and terrorists are exploiting new technologies and loopholes in our laws to spread violence, terror and crime," said EU Home Affairs Commissioner Magnus Brunner. The Austrian politician added that EU-wide directives would close these loopholes and make Europe safer.
To date, the 27 member states of the European Union have had gun laws, but no special rules for blueprints for 3D printers. According to the EU Commission, the new technology poses a growing security threat.
Several finds among right-wing extremists in Europe
Criminals keep trying to print weapons. Last year, a court in Germany convicted a 20-year-old for right-wing extremist attack plans, for which he had already produced "essential parts of an automatic machine gun" using a 3D printer, according to the reasons for the verdict. In Portugal and the UK, too, printed weapon parts have already turned up in investigations into right-wing extremist groups.
The proposed directive to tighten gun laws in the member states also provides for the minimum sentence for the possession of illegal firearms to be set at five years across the EU. The minimum sentence for trafficking and manufacturing would be eight years. The EU member states and the European Parliament still have to deal with the proposals before they can be implemented in the member states.
