Government attacks sales of materials used to manufacture explosives

In the past week, the cabinet has approved draft legislation aiming to catch the marketing and use of raw materials which may be used to manufacture explosives. The law provides for sanctions with a maximum of five years in prison for related offences.

The objective of the law, which would transpose European regulations into Belgian law, is to restrict the availability of chemical substances which could potentially be used in explosives manufacture.

It anticipates, amongst other things, forbidding the sale of some chemical substances to private individuals, the obligation to indicate suspect transactions for these substances, the creation of a point of contact for traders and sanctions which go up a maximum of five years in prison and a 100,000 euros fine.

The draft legislation, which was sent to the cabinet for its opinion, also anticipates establishing, by royal order, caveats to the restrictions and prohibitions. It will also be possible to subject substances or mixtures to the same obligations and prohibitions other than those intended by European law.

(Source: Belga)


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