Swiss voters vouch for tighter gun laws to maintain EU treaties

Voters in Switzerland approved a measure to tighten the country's gun laws to conform to European Union (EU) regulations.

Nearly 63 per cent of voters in Sunday's referendum supported tougher restrictions on semi-automatic and automatic weapons, according to the final results cited by Al Jazeera.

The measures also demand regular training on the use of firearms and require gun owners to keep a registry of their firearms.

Supporters of the firearms reform included members of the Swiss parliament and executive branch, who said that the amendments were needed to retain strong police cooperation and economic ties with Switzerland's partners in Europe.

They cautioned that a "no" vote would lead to the country's exclusion from the Schengen travel region and also the Dublin accords regulating Europe's asylum-seeking process, potentially creating far-reaching consequences for security, asylum and even tourism, Al Jazeera reported.

Switzerland is not an EU member, but it is in the Schengen zone.

The firearms rules were adopted by the EU two years ago after the deadly terror attacks in France, Belgium, Germany and Britain.