Feb 26, 2026, 3:28 p.mFeb 26, 2026, 3:28 p.m
The EU Commission is proposing new regulation of 3D printed weapons. According to the proposal, anyone who posts construction plans online or otherwise illegally distributes them should be punished with at least two years’ imprisonment.
According to the proposal, anyone who creates, purchases or owns a blueprint for a weapon from a 3D printer without permission is also liable to prosecution.
It is becoming increasingly easier to make weapons using a 3D printer.Image: IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire
EU Interior Commissioner Brunner: Close the gap in the law
“Organized criminals and terrorists are exploiting new technologies and gaps in our laws to spread violence, terror and crime,” said EU Interior Commissioner Magnus Brunner. EU-wide guidelines will close these gaps and make Europe safer, the Austrian politician added.
So far there are gun laws in the 27 member states of the European Union, but no specific rules for blueprints for the 3D printer. According to the EU Commission, the new technology represents a growing security threat.
Several finds among right-wing extremists in Europe
Criminals are always trying to print weapons. Last year, a court in Germany convicted a 20-year-old of right-wing extremist attack plans, for which, according to the verdict, he had already produced “essential parts of an automatic submachine gun” using a 3D printer. Printed weapon parts have also appeared in investigations against right-wing extremist groups in Portugal and Great Britain.
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. There should therefore be at least eight years for trading and manufacturing. The EU states and the European Parliament still have to deal with the proposals before they can be implemented in the member states. (hkl/sda/dpa)