REGISYNC project - Developing Common Minimum Standards for Legal Arms Registers and Improving Information Exchange among EU Member States, South-east Europe, Ukraine, and Moldova

The project aims to develop common minimum standards for civilian firearms registers and enhance information sharing across the EU and neighbouring states to help reduce the diversion of legal firearms to criminal and terrorist organizations.

Funder: EU Internal Security Fund

The REGISYNC project responds to the following needs:

Improving law enforcement data collection, access to databases, and capacities for international cooperation and tracing.
Developing standardised and compatible firearms registration systems and databases, including ballistics information, across the EU and its neighbourhood to improve the ability of these states to share relevant data.

Objectives and outcomes

The general objective of the project is to help reduce the diversion of legal firearms in the EU to criminal organisations and terrorists through the development of common minimum standards for civilian firearms registers and enhanced information sharing across the and neighbouring states (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Ukraine, and Moldova).

Specific objective 1: Harmonise the legal arms registers of the 35 target countries by promoting good practices and common minimum standards.
Expected outcome: Increased understanding and endorsement among law enforcement agencies (LEAs) and registry officials of the common minimum standards and good practices as proposed by the project.
Specific objective 2: Strengthen the regular exchange of information among LEAs and registry officials to prevent and detect diversion and trace seized firearms.
Expected outcome: Improved exchange of information among LEAs and registry officials of target states to prevent and detect diversion and trace seized firearms.

Main outputs and activities

The REGISYNC team will develop the following outputs:

35 country profiles on the state of play regarding national firearms registers in all member states and eight neighbouring countries. These will also provide a baseline for assessing future progress of the target countries.
Policy paper outlining the common minimum standards for a life-cycle firearms registry.
Manual on effective and innovative practices for a life-cycle firearms registry, including common minimum standards.
Policy paper on the exchange of information, identifying gaps in the exchange practices or availability of information, and defining the standard protocols and data that needs to be shared.
A set of recommendations on the improvement of exchange of information, focusing on availability of information, providing access to information, and ensuring effective exchange of information.

Throughout the project the development of all outputs will be validated by key stakeholders and beneficiaries. The REGISYNC team will hold presentations, workshops and a final conference engaging national and international LEA institutions and networks, including Europol, EMPACT Firearms, the European firearms experts’ working group (EFE group), Frontex, South East Europe Firearms Experts Network (SEEFEN), Interpol (iARMS).

The findings and main outputs of the project will be disseminated during the project life cycle and will be presented at a closing conference in Brussels. Dissemination will be facilitated through a dedicated website, the publication of 4 newsletters, 2 podcasts and 2 policy briefs.

Find out more on the project's dedicated website: https://regisync.eu/