Fireworks policy in the European Union
[1] Regulation is achieved via Directive 2013/29/EU on the harmonisation of the laws of the Member States relating to the making available on the market of pyrotechnic articles.
The directive aims to ensure a high level of safety for consumers and professionals, facilitate the free movement of fireworks within the internal market, and provide clear guidelines for manufacturers and importers.
It comprises a set of technical guidelines that manufacturers and importers must adhere to for their products to be legally sold in the EU market.
The CE marking process involves: Importers are also responsible for verifying that the products they distribute meet these requirements.
The EU emphasizes consumer safety by requiring fireworks to include clear instructions, warnings, and age restrictions on packaging.
Public awareness campaigns are often conducted during festive seasons to educate citizens about safe usage and the legal purchase of CE-marked fireworks.
Individual member states are allowed to prohibit the sale, possession and usage of other categories by consumers as well, if they so choose.
[7] Lighting fireworks is forbidden near churches, hospitals, retirement homes and wooden or thatch-roofed buildings.
[14] The original law banning ordinary citizens from the purchase of fireworks, the Explosives Act 1875, was adopted when the whole island was still part of the United Kingdom.
[15] A person selling, buying, owning or lighting fireworks from categories F2 to F4 without a licence is now punishable with a fine or even imprisonment.
[16] Since 2022 there’s a movement in Sweden that’s organized under Riksföreningen Stoppa Fyrverkerier för Privatpersoner i Sverige (The National Association Stop Fireworks for Private Citizens in Sweden) that works to ban people without training and license to use any fireworks or products like that, except for example sparklers and items like that from the category F1.
Under the ten kilogram threshold the object is not considered a firework (de jure), and the law does not impose any other limitation; no report or permission is needed.
