Biznes Fakty
Fireworks ban. Industry: Losses could be severe
The prohibition on the use of fireworks might lead to the downfall of numerous businesses, and the market will likely be inundated with hazardous products of dubious origin, cautions the Association of Importers and Distributors of Pyrotechnics. A meeting of the parliamentary special committee on animal protection is scheduled for Tuesday, where the topic of restrictions on pyrotechnic product usage will be addressed.
The industry organization contends that the fireworks market in Poland is a highly regulated sector of the economy.
„The Polish industry has developed into a genuine global force”
„The existing regulations in Poland are among the most stringent in Europe, encompassing certification requirements, age limitations for sales, and detailed usage guidelines. The Polish pyrotechnic sector has evolved into a genuine global force, ranking 5th worldwide in terms of fireworks import and export,” states a communication from the Association of Pyrotechnic Importers and Distributors.
As per the organization representatives, „the developers of the new regulations have failed to present an analysis of the economic impact or scientific evidence demonstrating the extent of the actual issues.” „Current national and EU regulations have been disregarded. The economic damage resulting from the proposed ban could be quite severe,” they mention.
According to the association’s estimates, there are roughly 25,000 businesses in Poland associated with the pyrotechnics industry. „They employ tens of thousands of workers, including 10,000 specialists with specific qualifications, whose training entails significant financial investment and lengthy certification processes,” they stress.
The Netherlands as a „cautionary tale,” Germany as a model
The association refers to a KPMG report indicating that the pyrotechnics industry generates a turnover of PLN 769 million. „Fireworks sales alone contribute approximately PLN 94 million in VAT revenue, and additional taxes – like CIT and PIT – related to employee hiring and company operations further enhance this figure,” the association details.
The organization notes, „the Netherlands should act as a cautionary tale, where a ban led to significant seizures of illegal pyrotechnics, accompanied by incidents of hooliganism.”
– The option for legal fireworks purchases in our country satisfies all market demands, preventing the emergence of a grey market that will inevitably arise if the government dismantles this industry, which is currently tightly regulated by safety standards and employs highly skilled pyrotechnicians – remarks Marta Smolińska, president of the Association of Importers and Distributors of Pyrotechnics.
Read more: Will Krakow prohibit fireworks? Consultations are forthcoming, but everything hinges on the MPs >>>
Concurrently, the organization proposes „compromise solutions based on the experiences of German cities like Berlin and Hamburg.” This involves establishing so-called fireworks-free zones – localized restrictions rather than a nationwide ban.
The industry suggests that these zones could encompass areas around shelters, zoos, hospitals, and nursing homes, thereby protecting individuals and animals sensitive to noise.
Proposal for a fireworks ban
The stance on the fireworks prohibition was articulated in connection with the citizens’ draft legislation amending the animal protection act and certain other acts. On Tuesday, the parliamentary special committee for animal protection is set to consider the issue of a ban on pyrotechnic products, which is part of the proposed legislation.
The proposal includes a ban on the use of pyrotechnic display products classified as F2 and F3. This encompasses the vast majority of fireworks sold in Poland, while the lowest classification, F1, includes only items suitable for home use, such as sparklers.
As highlighted in the project’s justification, the current regulations’ noise limit „has been established to correspond to the human pain threshold for audible sound.” „The existing legal framework does not account for the impact of noise levels and frequencies of so-called fireworks on animals, which are, after all, sentient beings,” it states.
Furthermore, it was noted that „animals are significantly more sensitive to high-frequency noise than humans,” and that fireworks detonations can cause „irreversible hearing damage or tinnitus” in them.
Last year, KO MPs also introduced a draft regulation to the Sejm aimed at prohibiting the use of high-volume fireworks by individuals.
– Each year on January 1 and 2, social media is inundated with images of deceased birds, and numerous appeals from pet owners seeking lost animals. Article 1 of the Animal Protection Act specifies that an animal, as a living being capable of feeling, is not a mere object. These few seconds of fireworks and our enjoyment do not justify the suffering inflicted on animals – remarked Katarzyna Piekarska (KO), a representative of the group of MPs who submitted the proposal.
According to this, the municipal council could, through a resolution, lift the
Źródło
