No EU hope for those wanting to silence fireworks

Whoever described Malta as an island of "smells, bells and yells" could just as well have added shells - not the ones found at the seaside but the containers for fireworks, which are synonymous with Maltese feasts that literally dot the summer calendar.

Fireworks undoubtedly add colour and fascination to local feasts but for many people the loud petards that shatter the ear drums and terrify children spoil the fun.

If, however, you think that the EU will change anything about noise levels or the times when these mega silence busters can be fired, you are mistaken.

According to the Malta-EU Information Centre (MIC), the EU Commission, through its directives, does not come in at all as regards fireworks production, storage and firing, particularly because of the small amount of fireworks manufactured by each factory.

Mario Farrugia, president of the 15th August Pyrotechnics Society of Mosta, said when contacted that his society worked closely with the Santa Maria Fireworks Factory, the other fireworks factory in Mosta.

Mr Farrugia said they were not aware of any EU directives meant to control the making and letting off of fireworks.

The factory he presides over had for the past 14 years stopped the 8 a.m. firing of murtali tal-bomba, the petards that go off with a terrific bang. "The effect of the noise made by these petards is not so intense when they are let off at noon and later on in the evening, because of the greater ambient noise.

"I am against over-zealousness and it would benefit fireworks makers if they collectively cut down on noise levels and the amount of petards they fire," Mr Farrugia noted.

The two Mosta factories buy a joint insurance policy and let off fireworks from the same field but on different days.

Between them the two factories let off about Lm15,000 worth of raw material on the big day, August 15, the feast day of Santa Marija. The fireworks are made by volunteers and it would cost four times as much as the value of the raw materials if one were to buy the fireworks ready made.

The EU Commission does not go into the issue of licences to manufacture and/or let off fireworks, or for factories or individuals.

Health and safety issues as well as access to the fireworks' factories, noise levels and distance from roads and inhabited areas are left to local governments to assess and regulate.

The only directive that could in future come into effect would be the Seveso II directive which distinguishes between explosives on the basis of the hazard they represent, which may range from a mass explosion hazard to a fire hazard.

While currently the directive is meant for factories storing 50 tonnes of fireworks, there is a suggestion to drastically cut this amount down to five tonnes, which would bring it down to the level of a number of factories in Malta.

The directive deals with tougher safety standards and land use.

There are about 39 fireworks factories in Malta and Gozo, the majority of which belong to band clubs. The rest are privately owned. In a number of cases, there are two rival fireworks factories in a locality belonging to band clubs celebrating different patron saints.

Raw material used in the manufacture of fireworks is imported. Potassium chlorate and potassium nitrate are stored at a central place under the supervision of the Armed Forces of Malta. The material is distributed according to a pre-set quota for each factory. Each factory can take up to 400kg a month of the two chemicals.