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MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION (D105447/07 – 2026/2824(RPS))

On the draft Commission regulation amending Annex XVII to Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) as regards lead in gunshot

B-10-2026-0431

on behalf of the ECR Group · Rapporteur: Pietro Fiocchi

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Written by a language model from the full text only; every figure comes from the text. The paragraph links open the paragraph a statement rests on — check the text itself before relying on it.

Parliament's resolution opposes the draft Commission regulation amending Annex XVII to Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 on lead in shot ammunition. It says the draft does not respect proportionality, because the Commission has not shown the restriction is necessary or proportionate across uses, exposure routes and risk-management conditions. It asks the Commission to withdraw the draft and table a new one based on a new, transparent and comprehensive impact assessment. It calls for revised assessments of health justification, technical interchangeability of alternatives, socio-economic costs, firearm safety and effects on defence production and supply chains. It asks for changes to the outdoor sport shooting exemption, including site-specific measures, pH monitoring and liming, a risk-based collection interval and a check of all language versions.

Key points

  1. Parliament opposes adoption of the draft Commission regulation amending Annex XVII to Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 on lead in shot ammunition.
  2. It finds the draft does not respect the proportionality principle, as the Commission has not sufficiently shown the restriction is necessary and proportionate in its scope and form.
  3. It asks the Commission to show, for each use covered, its actual contribution to population exposure, the populations concerned and the resulting reduction in health risks.
  4. It says commercial availability of alternatives does not prove technical equivalence, practical availability and safe interchangeability, and calls for a revised assessment covering firearm compatibility, testing, pressure, velocity, range, ricochet, user adaptation and animal welfare.
  5. It calls for a uniform safety level for firearms across the Union and for clarity on the responsibilities of manufacturers, testing authorities, operators, member states and Union bodies before replacement is required.
  6. It asks for a revised assessment of the restriction's full costs and their distribution, including ammunition replacement, testing, firearm modification, training, range investment and recurring compliance.
  7. It asks the Commission to quantify, before proceeding, the restriction's effects on production volumes, costs, investment, strategic skills, supply-chain security and the military's ability to scale up.
  8. It calls on the Commission to withdraw the draft regulation and table a new one for the committee based on a new, transparent and comprehensive impact assessment.
  9. It says the scope and cumulative conditions of the outdoor sport shooting exemption are not sufficiently justified, and asks the Commission to reconsider whether equivalent environmental protection could be achieved by less burdensome, risk-based or site-specific measures.
  10. It asks the Commission to allow pH monitoring and corrective liming, where scientifically appropriate, instead of unnecessary physical containment.
  11. It asks the Commission to replace the fixed three-year collection interval with a risk-based approach reflecting soil and water monitoring, actual lead accumulation and technical and economic feasibility.
  12. It asks the Commission to assess the environmental impact of ground-cover plastic before treating it as a generally applicable containment measure, and to check all official language versions for consistency before presenting a revised measure.

Who is affected

  • Small and medium-sized civilian sport shooting clubs, which may not bear the cumulative costs of containment, monitoring and lead collection.
  • Hunters and sport shooters, who face replacement of lead shot ammunition and possible firearm adaptation or training.
  • Member states, regions and hunting methods that rely heavily on lead shot, especially for migratory and other birds.
  • The European defence industry and its supply chain, which may face indirect effects from a reduction in civilian ammunition production.
  • Manufacturers, testing authorities and economic operators, whose responsibilities the Commission is asked to clarify.

Figures and deadlines

  • Shot ammunition between 1.9 mm and 2.6 mm is the range covered by the outdoor sport shooting exemption.
  • Spent lead must be collected at least every three years under the draft.
  • The proposed transition period is seven years.
  • Echa estimates around EUR 300 000–600 000 for certain physical containment measures at a range with a bullet trap.
  • Many small and medium-sized clubs have annual budgets of only a few thousand or ten thousand euro.
  • The 2025 study estimates a total economic value of around EUR 180.4 billion and 1.13 million jobs.
  • Annual spending by hunters and competitive shooters, excluding firearms and ammunition, is estimated at around EUR 96.3 billion.
  • Norway extended its lead shot ban to all hunting in 2005 and revised it in 2015 to allow lead shot for certain non-wetland species.

Legal basis: Article 68.1 of Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006.