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Executive summary for the Study on illegal sales of pyrotechnic articles destined for professional users (category F4) to the general public

Executive summary

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Following other retail markets, the pyrotechnics sector has established an extensive online retail presence making it possible for EU consumers to purchase pyrotechnic articles from web-shops based physically across the internal market. This trend has also given rise to an increasing number of reports received by the European Commission indicating that fireworks categorised as F4 pyrotechnic articles were reaching the general public, nonetheless, the Pyrotechnic Articles Directive 2013/29/EU provides that these articles should only be sold to and used by professional users recognised as having... specialist knowledge. Moreover, the non-authorised use of F4 pyrotechnics has caused concern considering the severity of some of the accidents documented and in instances where their misuse has been associated with the criminal intent to harm persons or damage property. In response to these findings, in 2016, the European Commission launched a study to review the economic production and supply of F4 flash bangers, considered as one of the most problematic articles. Among other things, the study confirmed that these items were entering the hands of the general public by online sales channels, and that their level of production outstripped their known level of professional use.1 Given that it was confirmed that the requirements of Directive 2013/29/EU were not being applied fully, to investigate this issue further, the European Commission decided to launch this study with the aims of: 1. Providing a qualitative and where possible quantitative assessment of the problem of illegal sales of F4 fireworks in the EU; 2. Establishing if and how sellers control that the purchaser is a person with specialist knowledge in his Member State of residence, with a view to identifying problems in verifying that a person has the necessary credentials; 3. Understanding which elements and problems (be it a national or a European issue) can facilitate incidental or intentional diversion of F4 fireworks to members of the general public; 4. Understanding if there are gaps or weak elements in the current system (and if there are, which ones) that could be solved at either the EU or national levels.