Maltese MEPs reject call for EU intervention on fireworks manufacturing after explosion

Maltese Members of the European Parliament have pushed back against a call by European Parliament Vice President Nicu Ștefănuță for EU-level intervention on fireworks manufacturing in Malta following an explosion at a fireworks factory in Magħtab last week.

In a letter circulated to MEPs, Ștefănuță urged the European Parliament to examine the safety and environmental risks associated with fireworks manufacturing in Malta, arguing that repeated explosions at fireworks factories demonstrate a “persistent and unacceptable risk” to human life, public safety, property and the environment.

The Romanian Green MEP said the latest explosion highlighted the dangers inherent in handling explosive materials in facilities located close to populated and environmentally sensitive areas.

He called on the European Parliament to assess whether current Maltese and EU regulations are adequate and to consider requiring Malta to prohibit fireworks manufacturing and large-scale storage facilities if safety cannot be guaranteed.

He also urged lawmakers to examine whether the continued operation of such facilities is compatible with EU objectives on public safety, environmental protection and animal welfare.

However, Labour MEP Alex Agius Saliba dismissed the call, arguing that fireworks are an integral part of Malta’s cultural heritage and that regulation of the sector falls outside the European Union’s remit.

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“Pyrotechnics is an integral part of Malta’s cultural heritage and therefore as a Member of the European Parliament I will always do whatever I can to protect Malta’s identity,” Agius Saliba wrote in his reply.

He said the production of fireworks is strictly regulated under Maltese law and described accidents as “a rarity and not the norm”.

“Apart from the above arguments, the production, storage and letting off of fireworks is not regulated by EU law — there is no EU competence in this area,” he said. “Therefore no EU action is needed.”

Nationalist MEP Peter Agius also rejected calls for a ban, stressing the cultural significance of fireworks in Malta.

“Fireworks are an integral part of Malta’s cultural identity and are central to Malta’s religious feasts,” Agius said in his response to Ștefănuță.

He pointed to Malta’s existing legal framework regulating the manufacture, storage, transportation and use of fireworks, as well as health and safety requirements and licensing obligations for pyrotechnicians.

Agius noted that a magistrate’s inquiry into the Magħtab explosion is ongoing and said the findings should help establish what caused the incident.

“Rather than proposing a ban, as you suggest, we need to better understand where the rules have failed to secure the safety which we all expect in this important cultural activity,” he said.

The exchange follows last Monday’s explosion at a fireworks manufacturing facility in Magħtab, which reignited debate over the safety of Malta’s fireworks industry. Fireworks remain a central feature of village feasts across the islands, but accidents at factories have periodically resulted in serious injuries and fatalities over the years.

Ștefănuță argued that the recurring nature of such incidents suggests that regulatory oversight alone may be insufficient to eliminate the risks associated with fireworks production.

He requested information on any investigations, parliamentary questions or legislative initiatives that could be launched at EU level in response to the issue.