The European Firearms Pass (EFP) is a locally-issued firearms licence

Firearms licence

A firearms licence is a licence or permit issued by some Governments of a country , that allows the licensee to buy, own, possess, and use firearms, often subject to a number of conditions or restrictions, especially with regards to storage requirements or the completion of a firearms...

 in a common format that allows citizens of the European Union

European Union

The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...

 (EU) to travel with one or more firearm

Firearm

A firearm is a weapon that launches one, or many, projectile at high velocity through confined burning of a propellant. This subsonic burning process is technically known as deflagration, as opposed to supersonic combustion known as a detonation. In older firearms, the propellant was typically...

(s) mentioned on the licence from one member state

Member State of the European Union

A member state of the European Union is a state that is party to treaties of the European Union and has thereby undertaken the privileges and obligations that EU membership entails. Unlike membership of an international organisation, being an EU member state places a country under binding laws in...

 to another. For certain purposes other documentation may be required, depending on the current states' laws and the reason for the movement; a transfer may be temporary (for a competition) or permanent (on a sale). An applicant for an EFP must already hold a licence from the member state in which he/she holds the firearm.

Functions

The EFP is required by and benefits:

• hunters of deer
  Deer
  Deer are the ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. Species in the Cervidae family include white-tailed deer, elk, moose, red deer, reindeer, fallow deer, roe deer and chital. Male deer of all species and female reindeer grow and shed new antlers each year...
  
  , wild boar, game birds and vermin carrying their firearm(s) into another EU member state
• target shooters involved in international competitions in the EU
• Dealers, sellers and importers of firearms across EU borders
• Specialist collectors and museum
  Museum
  A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
  
  s

The EFP extends the "Four Freedoms"

Internal Market (European Union)

The European Union's Internal Market seeks to guarantee the free movement of goods, capital, services, and people – the EU's four freedoms – within the EU's 27 member states.The Internal Market is intended to be conducive to increased competition, increased specialisation, larger...

 to the EU's licensed sports shooters, gun collectors and dealers. Europe has a long history of designing and manufacturing firearms.

EEC / EU Directives

The European Firearms Pass was first sanctioned in an EEC Directive of 1991. The current firearms directive 2008/51/EC was approved in May 2008 and member states' laws had to comply with it by 28 July 2010.

• Clause 14 comments that:

"The European firearms pass functions in a satisfactory way on the whole and should be regarded as the main document needed by hunters and marksmen for the possession of a firearm during a journey to another Member State. Member States should not make the acceptance of the European firearms pass conditional upon the payment of any fee or charge."

• Article 1 amends article 4 of the 1991 directive to:

"4. A “European firearms pass” shall be issued on request by the authorities of a Member State to a person lawfully entering into possession of and using a firearm. It shall be valid for a maximum period of five years, which may be extended, and shall contain the information set out in Annex II. It shall be non-transferable and shall record the firearm or firearms possessed and used by the holder of the pass. It must always be in the possession of the person using the firearm and any change in the possession or characteristics of the firearm, as well as the loss or theft thereof, shall be indicated on the pass."