European Parliament approves ban on lead ammunition

The European Parliament has voted to implement a definitive ban on lead shot in hunting and sport shooting ammunition across the European Union, the European Economic Area, and Northern Ireland. This measure aims to eliminate a significant source of environmental pollution, as approximately 44,000 tons of lead are currently dispersed annually through hunting, sport shooting, and fishing, contaminating soil and waterways.

The new regulation expands upon existing bans on lead shot in wetlands and lead in fishing equipment. To facilitate the transition, the implementation period for smoothbore ammunition has been extended from three to seven years, allowing manufacturers time to invest in research, development, and industrial conversion to alternative materials.

The Association of European Sporting Ammunition Manufacturers (AFEMS) expressed moderate satisfaction with the final text. The association noted that the decision excludes metallic ammunition for rifled firearms from the restrictions, a move intended to protect the competitiveness of the European ammunition industry and prevent disruptions to the defense sector, which shares technical expertise and supply chains with the civilian sector.