Brussels has taken the first step in a possible infringement case against Malta over the country's failure to implement EU-wide rules meant to stop the black-market trade of weapons.   

In an announcement on Thursday, the European Commission said it had recently formally requested Malta and Belgium, to report how 2019 EU rules on so-called alarm and signal weapons have been integrated into their national laws.

The rules aim to prevent the possibility of converting weapons which only discharge blank ammunition or irritants, into lethal firearms. 

EU states agreed on technical specifications for these alarm and signal weapons, including the procedure for checking compliance and the need to exchange information between authorities.

Countries across the bloc had to transpose these rules into their national laws by January 2020. 

Maltese authorities had communicated their transposing measures, but following an assessment of the texts received, the Commission found that some elements are missing.

It has, therefore, decided to open an infringement procedure by sending a letter of formal notice.

Malta now has two months to notify the Commission about the measures taken to ensure full transposition of the rules concerned.

Otherwise, Brussels may send a reasoned opinion. 

The Commission’s experts regularly release reasoned opinions about member states breaches of EU-law.

Member states can then decide whether to accept or negotiate the opinion or risk being taken to the European Court of Justice.