The amendment of the procedure for granting a license for the acquisition, possession or transfer of a firearm or ammunition belonging to Category B1 or B5, was approved by the Parliament. Now the possibility of granting or suspending the license will be provided to the Chief of Police, while until now these were the responsibility of the Council of Ministers. The changes were approved by 36 votes in favour and one against. MP Kostis Efstathiou voted against because, as he explained, he disagrees with the accumulation of superpowers in a single body.

It is noted that Category B1 includes short-barrelled repeating firearms and B5 includes short-barrelled semi-automatic firearms that do not belong to Category A (i.e. short-barrelled firearms capable of more than 21 rounds without reloading with a magazine with a capacity of more than 20 rounds are excluded).

What changes

In particular, according to the regulations voted by the Parliament, the following are provided:

1. Determination of the obligation of the applicant for the permit to justify the reason for requesting it.

2. Enabling the Chief of Police to request and receive the opinion of any person competent on the matter for the purposes of granting the permit.

3. Appointment of the Chief of Police as the competent body to decide not to grant the permit, instead of the procedure that was in force until now, according to which the Chief of Police submits a relevant recommendation to the Council of Ministers, which took the final decision.

4. Designation of the Chief of Police as the competent body to decide on the granting of the permit, following the relevant approval of the Council of Ministers, instead of the procedure that was in force until now, according to which the Chief of Police submits a relevant recommendation to the Council of Ministers, which took the final decision.

5. Enabling the Chief of Police to determine on a case-by-case basis the validity of an issued permit, provided that it will not exceed one year.

6. Establishment of a procedure for the renewal of the license, at the request of the applicant, according to which the Chief of Police proceeds to a new examination whether there is a real reason that imposes its renewal and there is no reason to the contrary of public order and security. It then renews the license, with the approval of the Council of Ministers, for as long as it deems necessary, provided that this does not exceed one year.

7. Enabling the Chief of Police to suspend or revoke a leave for reasons of public order or security, without the need for justification, with the relevant notification of the Council of Ministers in due time.

8. Establishment of a procedure for the concession of weapons and ammunition of Category B1 or B5 by the Chief of Police to licensed persons, provided that they have succeeded in special training provided by the Chief of Police, while, in case of failure, the license to be revoked.

9. Establishment of an obligation to return the provided weaponry, in case of expiration, non-renewal, suspension or revocation of the license.

The purpose of the changes and the disagreement of the gun dealers

It is noted that the issue was dealt with by the Legal Committee in its previous meetings on October 15 and 22, 2025, where the representative of the Ministry of Justice and Public Order referred to the purposes and main provisions of the bill in question, underlining that these aim to streamline and strengthen the process of granting licenses. At the same time, regarding the regulation for the provision of firearms and ammunition to licensed persons by the Chief of Police, instead of their supply by private individuals, he noted on the one hand that this regulation is necessary for the purposes of ensuring public safety and on the other hand that this practice is not legally permissible without the amendment of the relevant provision, as stated in a relevant opinion on the matter.

The representative of the Pancyprian Association of Gunsmiths, who also attended the sessions, agreed with the regulations, except for the concession of the weapon and ammunition of Category B1 or B5 to licensed persons by the Chief of Police, noting that licensed persons, if they wish, should be given the opportunity to obtain them from the private sector.

In the context of the article-by-article discussion, the committee was concerned with the provision that allows the Chief of Police to suspend or revoke a leave for reasons of public order or security, without the need for a justification for it.

The representative of the Ministry of Justice and Public Order, referring to the above reservation of the committee, explained the philosophy of this regulation, underlining that the Chief of Police may proceed to this suspension or revocation without justification, for reasons of public order or security, the nature of which requires that they not be notified to the person concerned, however, with the relevant information of the Council of Ministers in due course.