There will be no obligation to periodic medical and psychological examinations confirming the fulfillment of health criteria related to possessing weapons – the Sejm decided, rejecting in the first reading (with the votes of PSL, PiS and Confederation) the draft amendment to the Act on weapons and ammunition. During the debate, MPs from the Civic Coalition supported further work in committees, and the project in its current form was supported by MPs from Poland 2050 and the Left.
On Thursday, the Sejm rejected in the first reading the draft amendment to the Act on weapons and ammunition, as requested by the PSL, PiS and PiS clubs. Confederation. 225 MPs voted to reject the project, 203 were against and one MP abstained.
The project, submitted by Poland 2050, envisaged imposing on persons with permits to possess weapons for hunting purposes the obligation of periodic medical and psychological examinations confirming the fulfillment of health criteria related to possessing weapons, and increasing the frequency of examinations once every two years for people over 70 years of age.
“A mockery of security”
MP Ewa Szymanowska (Poland 2050) emphasized that the aim of the project is to equalize the testing requirements for firearm owners in order to ensure the safety of her compatriots. According to her, current regulations have gaps that may result in human tragedies.
She noted that currently in Poland, permission to possess weapons for hunting purposes requires a one-time medical and psychological examination. Meanwhile, people who possess weapons for personal protection must repeat such tests every five years. She added that hunters are the group that most often uses weapons.
Szymanowska emphasized that she consulted doctors who recommended introducing more frequent tests for this group. As she reported, they argued that, among other things, diabetes, neurological changes, alcoholism, addiction to psychoactive substances and medications taken may affect the hunters' performance.
SejmPAP
Deputy Minister of Interior and Administration Czesław Mroczek stated that there is no official government position on the project.
Daria Gosek-Popiołek (Left Wing) defended the project, citing media information about accidents. According to her, five people die every year at the hands of hunters. – The translation is always the same: they confused the victim with a boar – she noted. According to the MP, maintaining the current regulations is a “mockery to safety”. She emphasized that people walking in the forest have the right to feel safe.
Barbara Oliwiecka (Poland 2050) emphasized that we are talking about ordinary medical examinations that many professional groups undergo, and it is wrong to claim that the new regulations are an attempt to harm hunters. She was supported by MPs from the Civic Coalition Małgorzata Tracz, Klaudia Jachira and Katarzyna Piekarska.
Krystian Łuczak (KO) emphasized that although the project contains good solutions, its justification does not contain data indicating a cause-and-effect relationship between the number of accidents and shootings and the health condition of hunters. He pointed out that the act gives little time for hunters to conduct research, which in his opinion justifies the concerns of hunting associations. Therefore, he said, the KO recommended further work on the project and in-depth analyses.
PiS, PSL and Konfederacja support the rejection of the project
Edward Siarka (PiS), in turn, argued that the project is a “typical example of how a bad diagnosis leads to the promotion of solutions” that have nothing to do with safety, but on the contrary, reduce it.
He assessed that eliminating a large part of hunters may lead to unfavorable changes in nature, the spread of ASF, the disappearance of hunting traditions, and even a reduction in the country's security.
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According to the MP, Poland is statistically one of the countries with the smallest number of hunters, and those who operate constitute a “significant defense base for the country”. As he argued, hunters are the group that uses weapons the safest. He added that there were no cases of unauthorized use of hunting weapons, and failure to comply with hunting rules has nothing to do with the health of hunters.
PiS MP he noted that periodic tests cost up to PLN 1,000 and many people – including farmers – could not afford them. He claimed that the result would be a return to the elitism of hunting and a conflict between farmers, hunters and foresters, and that there would be no one to estimate hunting damage. He called accidents involving the use of weapons “marginal” and asked for the bill to be rejected in the first reading.
The coalition partner supported the opposition in the vote
People's Party members were also against the project. Urszula Nowogórska (PSL) talked about hunters' care for ecological balance and called them “an extended arm of Polish defense activities”, pointing out that many of them have equipment such as night vision goggles and silencers. According to the MP, the project consciously leads to the disarmament of hunting organizations. She said it was “bizarre and ill-considered” and introduced the strictest regulations against hunters in Europe.
Andrzej Tomasz Zapałowski (Confederation) was against the proposed regulations. According to him, they are stricter than those for policemen and soldiers who use weapons more often. The MP appealed to deal with illegal possession of weapons, not hunters. According to him, this project belongs in the trash bin.
Jarosław Sachajko (Republicans) noted that the project introduces unjustified restrictions for hunters and discriminates and stigmatizes older people.
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