[Milsurplus] French ban.. more

[J. Forster]

Subject:         [MV] The French are fried...
   Date:         Mon, 13 Feb 2006 05:53:45 +0000
   From:         timothy.smith1 at att.net
     To:         "Military Vehicles Mailing List" <mil-veh at mil-veh.org>

Below is a copy of an email to a friend of mine, received from HIS friend in
France...

Roger,

This is indeed true and quite worrisome.  I spent the week-end at the Paric
Antic Car Show and
talked with the President of FFVE, the French Federation of Historic Vehicles.
This Federation
consolidates the 950 historical vehicles (military and civilian) clubs, which
represents 15000
collectors.  The MVCG (Military Vehicle Collector Group) mentioned in your email
is part of the
FFVE.  The FFVE President is in direct contact with French authorities to
address this issue.

Here is the story

A recently enacted law (Nov 2005), called "loi sur la securite interieure" (i.e.
interior
security law) has organized weapons into 8 groups; from group 8 (collector and
historical
neutralized arms) to group 1 (missiles and modern military weapons).  For
reasons still unknown
to us, all military vehicles (land, air, sea) are in group 2.  This includes, as
mentioned in
your email, any land vehicle designed for military use (i.e. GMC, Dodge, Jeep,
but also
Hummers, ...).

French law requires any one who wants to own a group 2 weapon (i.e. 38 or 45
hand guns,
rifles,...) to file a demand with the Law Enforcement Authorities.
Authorizations are very
seldom granted and now most fire arms users join shooting range clubs where they
find guns for
rent.  It is likely that obtaining an Authorization to own a half-track, but
also a jeep, will
be quite difficult.  If authorization is not granted by the end of October 2006,
the vehicle
must be sold to someone who has the authorization, or turned down to French
authorities for
destruction.

When the law was initially drafted, it stated that MV could not be used in
public roads, except
during special cerimonies, with police escort.  Fortunately, the FFVE got this
issue resolved.
But the following requirements remained:
- all vehicles must be kept locked in a secure garage (i.e. no parking in the
street
unattended)
- extra measures must be taken to prevent anyone starting the vehicle (simple
ignition key is
not enough)

This law is currently legally challenged by the FFVE, but that's what they have
been doing for
the last two years with little success.  If no resolution is found within the
next few months,
all our vehicles could end up in museums (sale value close to nothing) or
destroyed.  The law
limits export and import transaction, so selling to a foreign buyer is hardly an
option.

This is not good news and we all wait for a law reversal with anxiety.  I will
let you know
more about it.