The state maintains that private companies are prohibited from training citizens in proper firearm usage, asserting that such training can only be conducted by the Police Academy. This stance stems from the Ministry of Internal Affairs’ (MUP) response to feedback on the Draft Law on Weapons and Ammunition, which underwent public debate from January 24 to February 24.

Concerns were raised regarding the provision that assigns this role exclusively to the Police Academy, with critics labeling it as “discriminatory and monopolistic,” in relation to Article 113 concerning such training.

“This effectively eliminates the opportunity for legal entities that possess official permissions for this activity to operate. It restricts registered entities engaged in this area,” commented Jelena Nišavić, emphasizing the need to establish requirements that these entities must fulfill regarding staffing and equipment, as well as the approval process.

She further asserted that the Ministry of Interior should delineate the program, conditions, and methods for firearm training, rather than the Minister of Education.

However, the department led by Danilo Šaranović did not endorse this recommendation:

“As the procedure for granting weapon documentation in the Ministry of Internal Affairs will be centralized, we believe that certification confirming an individual’s ability to properly manage firearms should be issued by a state body equipped with the necessary technical and personnel resources for professional training. This role is held by the Public Institution Police Academy in Danilovgrad.”

The Ministry of Internal Affairs did accept a recommendation to revise the age restrictions for weapon acquisition permits. The draft now specifies that the age limit will be 25 for citizens, 18 for military, police, and security personnel, and 21 for hunters and athletes.

Responding to a suggestion from “Energogroup” in Danilovgrad to lower all age limits to 18, the Ministry of Internal Affairs agreed to this proposal.

The same company commented on provisions related to medical certificates. The Ministry announced plans to form a commission from the Ministry of Health responsible for psychological evaluations. This commission would be the sole authority for issuing medical certificates for weapon possession, as well as conducting ongoing psychological assessments of applicants.

“Energogroup” proposed that the term “commission” be replaced with “health institution.” It encouraged that further regulations should set specific criteria for health institutions in issuing medical certificates.

The Ministry of Interior accepted this suggestion:

“The draft article will be amended to align with the Ministry of Health’s view, which advocates for a two-tier system within state-founded health institutions for these tasks. The Ministry suggests that health capacity assessments should be conducted by a commission set up by the health institution, limiting the process to a select number of health centers across three regions,” they noted in their response.

They added that a two-tier decision-making approach should also guide the evaluation of medical fitness.

“Should a citizen dispute the health center commission’s decision, they should have the right to appeal, with a local community-established commission addressing the issue, funded by the appellant, and detailing the commission’s composition,” they specified.

The proposal to create an exception for personal safety to allow weapons to be carried in public areas was not accepted.

Additionally, suggestions were made to significantly reduce the proposed fines to better reflect the economic realities of citizens and businesses in the region.

Among these suggestions, it was proposed that a legal entity failing to return an unused weapon acquisition permit within the set timeframe should incur a fine of 500 euros instead of the proposed 50 euros. Likewise, individuals neglecting to request a weapon license within the necessary time could face fines ranging from 100 to 1,000 euros, rather than the initially suggested 10 to 100 euros.

The Ministry of Interior did not accept these recommendations, stating that the provisions adhered to the Law on Misdemeanors and insisted that all penal measures would be determined in conjunction with the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Finance.

Danilo Šaranović’s department did approve a modification to the Draft article concerning the use of weapons at civilian shooting ranges, allowing minors to use firearms under professional supervision, in addition to those engaged in recreational shooting.

Proponents argue that this would permit individuals without a weapons license, wanting to experience a civilian shooting range for the first time, to exercise their rights in a legal manner while engaging in recreational or hunting activities.

The Ministry of Interior also accepted the proposal to remove paragraphs 2, 3, and 4 from Article 14 – Registration of Weapons, which mandated that specified weapon categories must be tested, stamped, and marked before registration.

“These legal stipulations appear to be designed to confiscate weapons from Montenegrin citizens and facilitate profit from weapon branding, which is currently unregulated in our country. Moreover, retroactive laws contradict EU standards, as previously registrable weapons could suddenly become unregistrable without cause,” remarked Zoran Ćorac, Miloš Golubović, representing the Defensive Shooting Club “Štit” alongside the Shooting Club “Zajcev” from Berane.

The proposal was also accepted to modify Article 25, which states that authorization for acquiring weapons and major weapon parts would be valid for six months only, with no extension. This amendment would now allow extensions strictly for importing weapons from EU member states.

Previously, the Ministry of Interior indicated that no additional funds will be necessary in the Montenegrin budget to implement this law.

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