http://revista.ieee.es/index.php/ieee 262 Journal of the Spanish Institute for Strategic Studies Núm. 10 / 2017 as a lack of resources, contradictory political priorities or a lack of means to enforce existing laws, and these significantly hamper the cross-border progress being made in combatting the illicit trade and use of firearms and explosives116. Despite the fact that various instruments exist in the field, the EU has launched an Action Plan with the aim of laying down a series of measures to restrict access to firearms and illicit explosives and, among these measures, highlights the need to create national contact points for firearms; map the global routes for trafficking towards the EU; reinforce cooperation between Member States, Europol and Interpol and similarly between Europol and the private sector117. With respect to police cooperation, advances are considered to have been made concerning access to information systems, whereby an essential role is played by the creation of a single entry and a search interface between the Firearms Section of SIS II and Interpol’s iARMS database118. Similarly, we should mention that Europol’s support has proved vital in Member State operations and investigations by means of a series of operative analyses and cooperation on the basis of the European Bomb Data System platform (EBDS), as well the Joint Cybercrime Action Taskforce (J-Cat)119 that the Agency makes available to Member States. In order to reinforce the EU offensive in this particular field, it is considered necessary to develop innovative detection instruments to counter the threats posed by explosives, and similarly to limit terrorists’ access to explosives precursors and detonators120. In this vein, concerns have been raised about a series of gaps in the implementation by Member States of the Regulation on Explosive Precursors121 and the need to review the regulatory framework is being examined in order to strengthen the security of explosive stocks, both 116 Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Council Directive 91/477/EEC on control of the acquisition and possession of weapons. Brussels, 18.11.2015 COM(2015) 750 final, p.5. 117 Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council, Application of the European Agenda on Security: Commission takes action to combat terrorism and illegal trafficking of firearms and explosives Brussels, 2.12.2015, COM(2015) 624 final, para 2. 118 Council of the European Union: State of play on implementation of the statement of the Members of the European Council of 12 February 2015, the JHA Council Conclusions of 20 November 2015, and the Conclusions of the European Council of 18 December 2015. Brussels, 4 March 2016, Doc. 6785/16, p.8. 119 Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council, Application of the European Agenda on Security: Commission takes action to combat terrorism and illegal trafficking of firearms and explosives Brussels, 2.12.2015, COM(2015) 624 final, para 4. 120 Council of the European Union: State of play on implementation of the statement of the Members of the European Council of 12 February 2015, the JHA Council Conclusions of 20 November 2015, and the Conclusions of the European Council of 18 December 2015. Brussels, 4 March 2016, Doc. 6785/16, p. 28. 121 Regulation (EU) No 98/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 January 2013 on the marketing and use of explosives precursors.
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