Trick or Trade: The EU’s Firework Policy

Oíche Shamhna shona daoibh! 

It is that time of year again – orange leaves are falling gradually, and dark nights are falling quickly. It must be Halloween! This Just the Facts looks into the Celtic origins of Halloween, as well as some of the newer traditions celebrated, including fireworks. What does EU legislation have to say about the fireworks and did Brexit impact this trade? Check out our explosive Just the Facts! 

Origins of Halloween 

Every 31 October, Halloween is celebrated across the European Union and around the world from Transylvania to Mexico City. In the United States alone, consumers spend billions every year on costumes, sweets and decorations. However, some may not know that this spooky celebration has been taking place in Ireland for over 2,000 years. Many of the roots of the Halloween experience can be traced to Ireland and to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain. On Samhain, the Celts celebrated the changing pastoral season, a time when crops were harvested, and animals were brought inside. It was a time of year in the Celtic calendar that symbolised rebirth and death. It was also believed that this was a time during which the barriers between the living world and the spirit world were weakest and thus people would engage in practices and traditions to ward off evil spirits and souls. It is said that this could be where the custom of Halloween costumes comes from. In times gone by, Irish people would have worn masks or disguises made from horsehair and sheep’s wool on Halloween night – perhaps to protect themselves from said evil spirits. However, this custom is also tangled up in another wider Irish tradition known as “mumming” or “guising” whereby people would “house call” while dressed up on Halloween evening and would perform for money food and drink. 

Bonfires and Fireworks 

In Ireland, bonfires and fireworks also play a role in Halloween festivities. Bonfires are believed to be part of old Samhain traditions where the Celts would extinguish their fires at home at Samhain and light a communal village fire to signal the beginning of winter. The biggest fire celebrations are thought to have taken place in Tlachtga, Co. Meath.  

Every year, local services prepare for one of their busiest nights of the year across the country. This year, Dublin City Council said that they had worked alongside An Garda Síochána and the Dublin Fire Brigade to clear away and confiscate no less than 450 tonnes of material stockpiles intended for bonfires on Halloween night. Fireworks, in comparison to bonfires, are a more modern addition to Halloween customs and are thought to have come from the English tradition on Guy Fawkes Night. 

Bonfires are illegal in Ireland. Only prescribed or controlled burning is permitted in certain cases and is defined as the planned and deliberate use of fire as a land management tool. That being said, there is a general tolerance for them on Halloween nights: 

“Bonfires are illegal. However, we have to be realistic, it is Halloween after all.” 

Dublin City Council Fire Safety at Halloween 

There are public events and organised bonfires on Halloween night and Ireland’s Emergency Services, as well as the Taoiseach, are urging people to attend organised events in controlled environments. 

Regarding fireworks, most categories of fireworks are illegal in Ireland for the general public and can only be used and purchased by professional, licensed operators. Category F1 low hazard fireworks are permitted for general public use. These include some sparklers and party poppers. However, other fireworks such as bangers, for example, are illegal for general public use. 

What is the EU law on fireworks? 

The first EU law on fireworks was a 2007 EU Directive regarding the placing on the market of pyrotechnics articles. This Directive represented the first concrete step in the EU to allow for the free circulation of fireworks, ensure high safety and environmental standards, as well as harmonise the laws of Members States in this area. The original law was then recast by a 2013 Directive which aimed to further “improve market surveillance and the quality of conformity assessments”. It came into force in Ireland in July 2015. 

This EU Directive has made fireworks safer, and has also regulated for how fireworks on the EU market are categorised (for example, F1 to F4 categories, or least hazardous to most dangerous). All fireworks in Ireland have to meet a “number of essential safety requirements and relevant standards” according to this EU Directive and must carry an EU CE mark to show that it conforms to these safety requirements. For example, the noise level of a firework (regardless of the category) must not exceed certain decibel levels, according to EU legislation. 

In May 2024, the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the EU organised a meeting with the European Commission, government representatives, companies and experts to discuss fireworks regulations. During the meeting, the Belgian Minister for the Economy, the Dutch Minister and the Luxembourg Minister signed a declaration highlighting the need for a safer policy on the sale and use of fireworks and presented the Benelux initiative to introduce the ‘Pyro-pass’ across EU Member States. The Pyro-pass is a document already in place in Benelux countries that formally identifies people with specialised knowledge in pyrotechnics. The Benelux country representatives say that an EU-wide Pyro-pass would help to combat the illegal sale of dangerous F4 category fireworks to those not licensed to operate them.  

Impacts on the firework market: Brexit and COVID-19 

The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on the extra-import of fireworks to EU countries. In 2021, EU countries imported 29,000 tonnes of fireworks from countries outside the EU totalling a worth of about €90 million. China was the country that accounted for 99% of the total volume of extra-EU imports of fireworks and nearly two-thirds of these imports went to the Netherlands, Poland and Denmark. However, the 2021 imports were a significant decrease on pre-COVID-19 figures, with EU countries importing more than three times less than what was imported in the pre-pandemic year of 2019. Equally, in 2020, the decrease was already evident at about 28% in comparison to 2019. 

Ireland accounted for €4.6 million (fourth lowest) of extra-EU imports of fireworks in 2021. A significant amount of Ireland’s fireworks (legal and illegal) come from sales in Northern Ireland where licensing laws are less stringent, and fireworks are not required to comply to EU safety standards. UK fireworks being sold in the UK now have a UKCA mark, instead of a EU CE marking. The discrepancy in law between the two jurisdictions in this area has been a topic for debate for many years. Brexit also had an impact on the illegal trade of fireworks between Northern Ireland and Ireland, with supply chains in the UK being affected. In 2021, Gardaí said that there were less seizures of illegal fireworks compared to previous years.  

Stay safe this Halloween!  

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