Fireworks sellers to fight New Year's ban in court

Around 150 fireworks sellers, who all belong to the foundation for consumer fireworks dealers SVNC, are going to court to fight the government's decision to ban the sale and lighting of fireworks this year. According to the foundation, the government announced its ban much too late, NOS reports.

The government announced on November 13 that it is banning the sale and lighting of fireworks this New Year's. This is in an effort to prevent further pressure on the healthcare system, which is already overburdened with the coronavirus pandemic. Last year nearly 1,300 people were injured by fireworks - 385 of which ended up in emergency rooms, the rest went to GP offices with more minor injuries.

"We have enormous respect for people in care and the difficult work of enforcers, but this has nothing to do with corona," lawyer Les de Jager, who is representing the fireworks sellers, said to NOS.

The decision to ban fireworks was made "incredibly late", De Jager said. "Containers with fireworks were already on the way. Retailers have already paid for them. Now that they have no turnover, they are at a loss for what to do."

The government already promised the fireworks industry 40 million euros in compensation for this one-time ban, but according to De Jager that is not nearly enough. The compensation is only going to companies that store and transport fireworks, not the sellers, he said.

De Jager hopes that the lawsuit will appear in the court in The Hague sometime between December 10 and 15.