I did a quick search on www.yahoo.com and came up with this information. It doesn't look like it is that far from a reality.



http://www.pistolskytte.org/info/Swe...mmunition.html

SWEDISH PISTOL SHOOTING ASSOCIATION
September 11, 2001


To the producers of handgun ammunition in Europe.

Swedish Government will Ban Lead Ammunition

The Swedish government will ban the use of ammunition with lead bullets, which are commonly used in sport shooting with small arms. The government has in June this year submitted a statute to the European Union for approval.

The issue has nr EU 2001/1208/R at the Swedish Ministry of Environment and nr 2001/305S at the EU Commission.

The ban will be in force from January 1, 2008. Lead bullets may only be used after this date if they are collected in special bullet traps. The government is not willing to grant any exemptions from the ban.

The cost of a single bullet trap is approx. USD 500 – 950 for each target place. It is financially not possible for Swedish shooting clubs to obtain such traps for their shooting ranges. The traps are not suitable for use in field shootings as the targets are placed in different places in the field. Something like 75 per cent of all shooting in the clubs in the Swedish Pistol Shooting Association is field shooting.

The Swedish Pistol Shooting Association has in close co-operation with the company Norma Precision AB, a Swedish producer of handgun ammunition, started development of environmentally ammunition for sport shooting. It is, however, still not known if the project will be successful.

The ban on lead ammunition will be a severe hardship to the Swedish sport shooting. If there will not be lead free ammunition available in the future, almost all sport shooting with handguns will be stopped.

The association has pointed out that the legislation must be harmonised with the rules in the EU. If the ban will only be applicable in Sweden a great part of the sport shooting in Sweden will be terminated and the import of ammunition from suppliers abroad will also be hindered. One way to solve this would be that EC initiate production of lead free ammunition in close co-operation with major ammunition suppliers in Europe.

The Swedish Pistol Shooting Association suggests the all ammunition suppliers in Europe ask the EU to take such an initiative in order to supply lead free ammunition. Until such development is initiated there is no need for a single Swedish government action as the one we now see. The government should therefore recall the ban statute. In any case it must be possible to grant exemptions after January 1, 2008.

The Swedish Pistol Shooting Association appeals to all producers of handgun ammunition in Europe for support in its struggle for equal rules throughout Europe.


Lars-Eric Plantin
General secretary

E-mail address [email protected]

Phone: +46 8 788 99 78
Fax: +46 8 788 99 86


AND ALSO

http://www.gunowners.org/news/nws9504.htm

I am not going to post that entire article, as I couldn't find where it stated Jan 1, 2008 as the other site did.

Also, here is a link that deals with the subject specifically in California

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1327600/posts

And another...

http://www.projectgutpile.org/Hog_Hu...al_Report.html