European Airsoft Association (EAA) har blivit European Airsoft Federation (EAF).
Since 2009 we have proudly stood as the ’European Airsoft Association’. The committee has elected to rename the organisation to ’European Airsoft Federation’, to better reflect our structure and function.
We hope that the airsoft players of Europe like our new logo, and will support us for another ten years, and beyond.
Our mission is unchanged; to help bind airsoft together across the continent, and protect airsoft at the international level.
Matt Furey-King President European Airsoft Federation
Matt Furey-King är ny ordförande (President) för European Airsoft Association (EAA).
Han efterträder Joachim Dekkers som var ordförande mellan 2015 fram till nyligen.
För en del är Furey-King bekant sedan tidigare då han var ordförande för EAA från 2011 fram till 2015 och var även en av flera aktiva airsoftlobbyister i samband med Europaparlamentets vapendirektiv som riskerade medföra att airsoftvapen skulle förbjudas inom EU.
EXTRA: Airsoftvapen föreslås exkluderas från termen ”firearm” i EUs kommande direktiv om vapenlagstiftningen i EU-länder och därmed förbli lagliga.
För några månader sedan kom Euparlamentet med ett utkast till nytt direktiv gällande vapenlagstiftning i EU-länder och där bland annat airsoftvapen var hotade.
Då inledde European Airsoft Association ett enormt arbete med att påverka ledamöter i EU, genom att försöka påverka själva och uppmanade airsoftintresserade att skicka in brev till EU-parlamentärer (se nyhet om Operation MEP). På bilden ovan syns Matt Furey King, fd ordförande i European Airsoft Association utanför Europaparlamentet.
Arbetet med att ta fram direktiv inom EU tar lång tid och i en rapport med förslag på förändringar som släpptes denna vecka står det följande;
(3b) The definition of the term “firearm” should continue to exclude objects which expel a shot, bullet or projectile by the action of a non-combustible propellant, for example through the operation of compressed air or other gas, including so-called airsoft guns, as well as objects which merely have the appearance of a firearm (replicas, imitations), provided in both cases that such objects cannot be converted to a firearm or do not contain an essential component which is capable of being used in a firearm. Member States should be able to regulate such objects under their national law.
Detta är ett stort steg i rätt riktning och om detta tas med i det slutgiltiga direktivet kommer airsoftvapen även fortsättningsvis att vara lagliga 😀
Information från European Airsoft Association angående EUs förslag på förändringar av vapenlagstiftningen och hur DU kan påverka.
Operation MEP
Airsoftspelare av Europa- det är nu det gäller. Det här är den stora påtryckningen, det är nu DU kan rädda airsoften i Europa eller låta den bli krossad. Rädda din hobby från EU-attackerna på replikor.
Uppgift 1: SKICKA BREV NU! Här nedanför hittar du ett redan förberett brev som du kan kopiera och skicka till din MEP (MEP=Member of European Parlament; EU-representant). Leta upp mailadressen av din representant, kopiera och klistra detta brev (och modifiera det hur du än vill) och skicka in det.
Uppgift 2: DELA DENNA SIDA SÅ MYCKET DET BARA GÅR! Se till att dina vänner, alla du spelar med och alla du umgås med vet om detta brev, låt butikerna veta, spelområden, forum, föreninger, alla! Det är alldeles för många som är ovetande vad det är som försigår.
Det skulle verkligen hjälpa om ni delade med er av de svaren ni får tillbaka på vår diskussionssida https://www.facebook.com/groups/455851477935788/?fref=ts eller maila in det till president@euroairsoft.org så vi vet hur det går och kunna upptäcka om det finns potentiella supportrar i olika kommittéer. Tänk på att försöka använda Engelska i er korrespondens med dessa två platser.
Glöm inte att sätta in ditt egna namn och lägga till din MEP:s namn. Glöm inte att lägga till din svarsadress om du skickar det som ett vanligt brev.
Texten ovan är översatt av Fredrik från Airsoft.nu på uppdrag av EAA. Vi (Airsoft.nu) har även tillsammans med EAA kommit fram till att de flesta berörda i Sverige såväl svenska politiker i EU-parlamentet förstår engelska och därför behövs ingen översättning till svenska av ”brevet”.
De flesta har säkert redan på ett eller annat sätt hört talas om utkastet till lagförslaget/direktivet (Council Directive 91/477/EEC) i EU om att skärpa vapenlagstiftningen i respektive medlemsland.
Airsoft.nu har medvetet avvaktat att skriva något i väntan på officiellt uttalande från European Airsoft Association, men nu har de gjort ett uttalande och här är det.
Halt the EU attack on Replicas!
Please watch this video for a short summary of the situation. https://youtu.be/dxrhkFqunBM
Here’s the full explanation;
For many years The European Airsoft Association has been concerned that a European directive could damage or even ban airsoft. Once implemented, all EU member states are obliged to put regulations into local law. At that point it’s too late, you cannot stop it in your own country. Unless we act, this exact scenario could happen very soon.
An anti-firearms group within the EC has published a proposal which primarily aims to get rid of all semi auto live firearms and most deactivated firearms. They are playing on people fears after the horrible terrorist attacks of the last year, but this is a cynical excuse for them to pursue a pre-existing agenda. The terrorist attacks have been carried out with illegally held weapons that have mostly come from military armouries via armed conflicts in the Balkans. These events are not connected to civilian firearms or to replica firearms either.
Although they present no argument against the current status of non-convertible replica weapons in the paper they throw in this subtle, yet devastating change to the classification of replicas-
(iii) In Category C, the following points are added: ”5. Alarm and signal weapons, salute and acoustic weapons as well as replicas
This would mean that all replicas in Europe would become ‘firearms subject to declaration’. This would mean the following changes (subject to local laws);
• All replicas would need to be registered
• You would need to apply for permission to own a replica and would likely be subject to checks and licencing
• All replicas would be allocated a serial number
• You would require a European firearms pass to take replicas to a foreign country
• Internet sales would be banned (as the proposal also puts forward a ban on remote sales for all firearms).
We believe this change will be impractical, extremely hard (probably impossible) and expensive to implement, take resources and focus away from criminals and terrorism, will ruin a thriving airsoft retail industry and will not make citizens safer at all. As you may be aware, a worrying historic occurrence in some European countries has been forcing the register of firearms as a precursor to a ban and confiscation.
Here’s what you can do to prevent this-
1. Share this news story. Get the word out to your airsoft friends and contacts. Translate it into your native language. Use the hash tag #airsoftineurope
Please stick to these rules-
• BE NICE! We want to win them over to our point of view, not make them see us as angry, unpleasant or single minded! Most MEPs won’t even be aware of the change affecting replicas, or the consequences of the change.
• STICK TO THE POINT. Tell them that non-convertible replicas should not be classified as firearms by being added to Category C of directive 91/477/EEC
• TALK ABOUT YOU. Tell them about how the changes will hurt you and your friends, your industry, your hobby. Talk from a personal perspective.
• FEED BACK THE RESPONSES. Forward all responses you get to me, furey_x (at) yahoo.co.uk . We need to know how MEPs feel about this paper. I am building a database of the airsoft allies and supporters.
This amendment is being fast tracked (they are even going to skip the normal Economic impact assessment) and could be voted through in a very short space of time, so you need to act as soon as you read this (if you haven’t already).
Airsoft players should also stand with their cousins in the live firearms and deactivated firearms communities, they will also have their hobbies destroyed when none of us have any connection to recent events. Together with them, it is possible to act as a huge grass roots body and put down this ridiculous proposal. The EAA will also be lobbying the EC directly so like our FB page and we will keep you up to date with any new information.
Matt Furey-King, President European Airsoft Association
Det Europeiska airsoftförbundet (European Airsoft Association) vill ha en ny logotyp och har därför utlyst en logotyptävling och där vinnaren får många airsoftprylar som tack;
”EAA Logo Competition
The European Airsoft Association is entering a new phase and to mark this we are changing our branding. Most importantly we will be selecting a new logo which we are going to source from you, the airsoft players we represent at a European level. We invite airsofters from all over Europe to submit logo designs, initially in Jpeg format. Images must be around 2000×2000 pixels. Please submit your designs by the 29th April 2013, click on this link for details on how to submit your entry http://www.europeanairsoftassociation.eu/en/home/79-logo-competition.html
The winning designer will receive this superb prize pot, full of goodies which will enhance any players kit box!
We look forward to seeing your designs over the coming weeks. 2013 is going to be a great year for the world’s only extra-national airsoft association, so make sure your representative airsoft body is involved!
Regards,
Matt Furey-King
President, European Airsoft Association”
Matt Furey-King som är ordförande i European Airsoft Association har skickat ut ett e-postmeddelande till flera företrädare för airsoften i Europa. Vi har fått tillstånd av Matt att delge er meddelandet. Sveriges representant hos EAA är Sveroks airsoftgrupp, om den finns kvar.
Hello everyone,
Just a quick update to tell you where EAA stands. My apologies for not pushing things this year, things got unexpectedly busy for me. Anyway, main thing is we are still here. I’ve got some plans for 2013 and over Christmas break I will be sketching out a progress timetable for 2013. Principally I’m thinking about getting us registered in Brussels as an international association. This will lend us credibility and possibly open the opportunity for EU funding, but its very complicated and will take me some time to read up before I can tell you how we are going to achieve it. Of course, we will need a constitution, which I am working on now.
Very soon I will hold a new logo competition.
Before the end of January I’m going to hold another Skype meeting. There are a few items I wish to put on the table to help us decide the constitution and structure of EAA. After that is settled, we can look towards some projects, doing something proactive. But first, I’m afraid, we have to get bureaucracy sorted out. At the meeting I will fist call another presidential election as I’ve stood for a year now. I hope you will elect me again. We will use Skype again as it is the most convenient method but we will only use text.
What I ask all of you to do is a small, easy task before the end of 2012. Please can all association presidents/chairmen log in to our forum (or send a delegate) and make a thread telling us about your national association and any on going problems or projects in your country. Just email me back with your forum name if you don’t have committee forum access. It will also help me know you are still interested, have forum access and I have the right contact details for you. I would like to get lots of interest in this quick and easy task which will indicate bright prospects for the whole European airsoft association project.
Here in Airsoft news, we write about what happens in the Airsoft world but also about military tactical products (milsim). Our focus is mainly from a Swedish perspective.
