Electronic Licensing System for Firearms, Their Essential Components and Ammunition (FIRE) and Its Alignment with Digital Trade Policy

The document is a feedback submission by the DigitalTrade4.EU consortium to the European Commission on the proposed Implementing Regulation for the Electronic Licensing System for Firearms, Their Essential Components and Ammunition (FIRE). It advocates for a fully digital, interoperable, and future-proof system aligned with the EU’s broader digital trade and regulatory strategies. The consortium emphasizes integration with key frameworks such as eIDAS 2.0, eFTI, Digital Product Passports (DPP), EU Customs Single Window, and the potential EU Trade Document Registry (ETDR). The submission includes 11 concrete amendments to enhance security, efficiency, SME accessibility, and cross-border compatibility, while leveraging RegTech, AI/ML-based risk profiling, and global standards like LEI/vLEI. The goal is to create a secure, transparent, and harmonized digital licensing system that strengthens both internal security and the EU’s position in global digital trade.