While the debate over gun policy ranks high on the political agenda in the US and focuses on various aspects of gun policy, in Europe this debate is less advanced. The scholarly literature on governance of small arms and light weapons (SALW) reflects these differences in public debate. The European based SALW research community has traditionally focused on the export of SALW and the inter-relationship between the SALW proliferation and violence in third countries. The issue of domestic governance of SALW remains under-researched in Europe. In this paper we will focus on one aspect of domestic governance of SALW and analyze the EU strategy to tackle the illicit acquisition of firearms and ammunition within its borders. More specifically we will analyze the efforts of the EU with regard to developing a common legal framework, enhancing cross-national operational cooperation and stimulating intelligence sharing.
