Swiss voters approve tighter guncontrol, avoid EU clash
ZURICH/GENEVA - Swiss voters agreed by a nearly two-to-one margin on Sunday to adopt tighter gun controls in line with changes to European Union rules, heading off a clash with Brussels.
The restrictions, which apply to non-EU member Switzerland because it is part of Europe's Schengen open-border system, had raised hackles among shooting enthusiasts ahead of the vote. After militants killed scores of people in Paris in 2015, the EU in 2017 toughened laws against purchasing semi-automatic rifles such as the ones used in those attacks and made it easier to track weapons in national databases.
Swiss officials negotiated concessions for veterans and gun enthusiasts who take part in the country's numerous shooting clubs, but any restrictions imported from the EU go too far for right-wing activists concerned about Swiss sovereignty.
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