{"id":15082,"date":"2025-01-20T17:14:04","date_gmt":"2025-01-20T16:14:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/svjmedia.nl\/internationaljournalism\/?p=15082"},"modified":"2025-01-20T17:45:43","modified_gmt":"2025-01-20T16:45:43","slug":"the-fireworks-crisis-why-european-laws-fail-to-stop-the-illegal-fireworks-trade","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/svjmedia.nl\/internationaljournalism\/15082\/the-fireworks-crisis-why-european-laws-fail-to-stop-the-illegal-fireworks-trade\/","title":{"rendered":"The Fireworks Crisis: Why European Laws Fail to Stop the Illegal Fireworks Trade"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

It\u2019s a cold day in mid-December, and while there are still 15 days until the new year, the sound of fireworks cracking in the distance can already be heard. It\u2019s not unusual, but the way New Year\u2019s is celebrated differs from one EU country to another. However, there is one country that truly goes all out every year: the Netherlands.<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

For the Dutch, hearing loud bangs throughout the year has started to feel normal, rather than just during New Year\u2019s celebrations. Almost every week, news articles surface about explosions caused by illegal fireworks, such as the Cobra 6. Videos circulate of cars driving in circles, shooting fireworks at each other through their windows, and people using fireworks to intimidate one another. In 2024 alone, 500 explosions have already been recorded. It seems the Dutch are using fireworks for all the wrong reasons. A small country that, despite numerous bans, just can\u2019t seem to get enough of loud explosions. Yet no matter how many new regulations are introduced, it\u2019s the same story every year.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

The reason is simple: the fatal accidents aren\u2019t caused by legal fireworks, but rather by illegal ones that Dutch citizens smuggle across the borders to sell or ignite back home. How can this firework phenomenon in the Netherlands be stopped without action being taken at the European level?<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

The car windows fog up as the engine starts, marking the beginning of a 40-minute drive to the destination. It\u2019s much closer than a trip to Italy or Poland, but the result is the same and with fewer risks. It\u2019s no surprise that with illegal fireworks so easily accessible, many Dutch people partake. Cobras and shells, fireworks to some, but in reality, they are powerful explosives that have little to do with “celebrating” the New Year. The numbers make it clear: the issue isn\u2019t the legal fireworks that the average Dutch person sets off, but the heavy, illegal fireworks that cause fatal accidents year after year.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Different rules<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

There\u2019s an entire European supply chain behind the fireworks before they even reach the Netherlands. According to Leo Groeneveld, founder of a fireworks advocacy group, illegal fireworks originate from countries like Poland and, especially, Italy. “Many Dutch people also go to Belgium and Germany to buy fireworks. Light fireworks are still allowed there, so they can be purchased legally. A lot of Dutch people head to Belgium for louder and more spectacular fireworks, as well as for firecrackers and rockets. The town of Baarle-Hertog is the firework hotspot where many Dutch citizens purchase their stash every year. \"\"The town is located right in the middle of the Netherlands. With an area of just 7.41 square kilometers, you can cross the border in five minutes and bring Belgian fireworks back into the Netherlands. There are large signs at the border warning about firework checks, but where the police really is, is unclear. Cars packed with fireworks cross the border right in front of me. ‘I usually just take backroads to avoid being stopped by the police,’ says Liam, who I meet at the Zena fireworks shop. Liam isn\u2019t the only Dutch person here; in fact, everyone in the shop seems to be Dutch. Upon entering, you\u2019re handed a clipboard and a pencil to mark off which fireworks you want. Once submitted, your order is ready for pickup within minutes. Fathers and sons carry out towering boxes of fireworks, while others bring hand trolleys to haul their purchases. \u00a0‘It\u2019s just tradition. I do it every year. The fireworks here are prettier and cheaper, so why not?’ says Menno, who is waiting for his order next to me at the pickup point. ‘We\u2019re not doing anything illegal; we follow all the Belgian laws,’ says the Zena shop owner. And he\u2019s right, Belgium\u2019s firework regulations are different from those in the Netherlands.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

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So, how do the firework laws differ across Europe? Watch the video explainer to learn more.<\/p>\r\n

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