The Pyrotechnic Articles (Safety) Regulations 2015
UK Statutory Instrument 2015 No. 1553 — creates 9 criminal offences.
- Made
- 19 July 2015
- In force from
- 17 August 2015
- Extent
- Not stated
- Subject
- Food, consumer protection, trading standards, product safety and age-restricted sales
- Made under
- European Communities Act 1972, Schedule 2 to, the European Communities Act 1972
Explanatory note
(This note is not part of these Regulations) — published with the instrument by the department that made it. © Crown copyright, reused under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
These Regulations transpose Directive 2013/29/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12th June 2013 on the harmonisation of the laws of member States relating to the making available on the market of pyrotechnic articles (recast) (OJ L 178, 28.6.2013, p.27) (“the Directive”) and Commission Implementing Directive 2014/58/EU setting up a system for the traceability of pyrotechnic articles (OJ L 155, 17.4.2014, p.28). The Directive repeals and replaces Directive 2007/23/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23rd May 2007 on the placing on the market of pyrotechnic articles (OJ L 154, 14.06.2007, p.1) which was implemented in the United Kingdom by the Pyrotechnic Articles (Safety) Regulations 2010 (S.I. 2010/1554) (as amended). These Regulations revoke and replace S.I. 2010/1554. Regulation 3 defines “pyrotechnic article”. Regulations 4 and 5 provide exceptions allowing the use of pyrotechnic articles which are not in conformity with Part 2 for the purposes of trade fairs, exhibitions, demonstrations, research, testing and development. Part 2 sets out the obligations of economic operators. Regulations 6 to 13 set out the obligations that are specific to manufacturers. These obligations include ensuring that a pyrotechnic article has been designed and manufactured in accordance with the essential safety requirements set out in Schedule 2, having a relevant conformity assessment procedure carried out before the pyrotechnic article is placed on the market, affixing the CE marking and labelling the pyrotechnic article. Regulations 14 to 19 set out the obligations that are specific to importers. These obligations include ensuring that they are not placing on the market pyrotechnic articles which are not in conformity with the essential safety requirements, checking that the manufacturer has carried out a relevant conformity assessment procedure and labelled the pyrotechnic articles correctly and indicating on the pyrotechnic article the name and address of the importer. Regulations 20 to 23 set out the obligations that manufacturers and importers have, but distributors do not. These obligations include maintaining records of the registration numbers assigned to pyrotechnic articles and monitoring pyrotechnic articles which have been placed on the market. Regulations 24 to 28 set out the obligations that are specific to distributors. These obligations include acting with due care to ensure that pyrotechnic articles are in conformity with Part 2 and checking that the pyrotechnic articles bears the CE marking and are labelled correctly. Regulations 29 and 30 set out the provisions that apply to importers and distributors, but not to manufacturers. These obligations include an obligation to ensure that the storage and transport of a pyrotechnic article do not jeopardise its conformity with the essential safety requirements. Regulations 31 to 38 set out obligations that manufacturers, importers and distributors have. These obligations include not making pyrotechnic articles available to persons beneath the minimum age limits. They include not making category F4 fireworks, category T2 theatrical pyrotechnic articles or category P2 other pyrotechnic articles available to persons without specialist knowledge. The meaning of “person with specialist knowledge” is set out in Schedule 4. They also include an obligation to identify other economic operators in the supply chain. Part 3 sets out provisions concerning the conformity assessment procedure, declarations of conformity and CE marking. Part 4 sets out provisions concerning the bodies which carry out conformity assessment procedures under the Regulations. Part 5 sets out provisions for market surveillance and enforcement. Regulation 52 identifies the market surveillance authority which has an obligation to enforce the Regulations in respect of each category of pyrotechnic article. Regulation 54 and Schedule 7, 8 and 9 provide for the enforcement powers which the enforcing authorities are to have. Regulation 62 provides for the contravention of provisions of these Regulations to be an offence. Regulation 63 sets out the penalties that are to apply for offences under these Regulations. Part 6 sets out transitional provisions and consequential amendments. Until 5th July 2017, Part 2 will not apply to designs of category F1 firework, F2 firework and F3 firework which were lawfully manufactured or placed on the market before 4th July 2010 or to designs of other categories of pyrotechnic article lawfully manufactured or placed on the market before 4th July 2013. Regulation 75 makes consequential amendments, including to section 31 of the Explosives Act 1875 (c.17). A transposition note and full impact assessment of the impact that these Regulations will have on the costs of business, the voluntary sector and the public sector are available from the Single Market Product Safety Team, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, 1 Victoria Street, London SW1H 0ET and are also published with the Explanatory Memorandum alongside these Regulations on www.legislation.gov.uk.
Offences created by this instrument
- It is an offence for a manufacturer to contravene or fail to comply with any requirement of— a regulation 6… regulation 62(1) · Status not determined · Strict liability
- It is an offence for an importer to contravene or fail to comply with any requirement of— a regulation 14 (prohibition… regulation 62(2) · Status not determined · Mixed — some elements strict, some not
- It is an offence for a distributor to contravene or fail to comply with any requirement of— a regulation 24 (duty to… regulation 62(3) · Status not determined · Mixed — some elements strict, some not
- It is an offence for a conformity assessment body to fail to comply with regulation 49(5) (changes to notifications) regulation 62(4) · Status not determined · Strict liability
- It is an offence for any person to contravene or fail to comply with any requirement of a notice, other than a… regulation 62(5) · Status not determined · Strict liability
- It is an offence for any person— a intentionally to obstruct— i an enforcing authority (or officer of such authority)… regulation 62(6) · Status not determined · Requires proof of a state of mind
- It is an offence for a person who is not authorised to act on behalf of an enforcing authority to purport to exercise… regulation 62(7) · Status not determined · Strict liability
- Liability of persons other than principal offender regulation 65(2) · Status not determined · Strict liability
- Recovery of expenses of enforcement regulation 68(1) · Status not determined · Strict liability
What Parliament said about it
Contributions, debates and written statements mentioning this instrument by name. Parliamentary material is reused under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0.
- Fireworks
Commons · Westminster Hall · 2 November 2020 · The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (Paul Scully)
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Mundell. I pay tribute to the hon. Member for Gower (Tonia Antoniazzi), not only for introducing the debate on behalf of the Petitions Committee but for her considered speech; to the hon. Members across the Chamber who took part in the debate; and obviously to the 305,000 people who took the time to sign the petition. We heard some distressing stories about the treatment of animals, about antisocial behaviour and about injuries to people. We also heard about the positive side of fireworks—yes, the fun and the benefits. The hon. Member for…
- Fireworks (Noise Limits)
Commons · Commons Chamber · 17 April 2024 · Judith Cummins (Bradford South) (Lab)
I beg to move, That leave be given to bring in a Bill to make provision about the maximum noise levels of fireworks which may be sold to the public; and for connected purposes. My Bill aims to tackle the antisocial use of fireworks, and would mean that fireworks available to the general public no longer emitted sound levels that were equivalent to a pneumatic drill or a chainsaw; instead, sound levels would be capped at those equivalent to an alarm clock or a hairdryer. Fireworks can be a great source of entertainment, but they cause misery for many people and their pets right across this…
- Fireworks: Sale and Use
Commons · Westminster Hall · 9 December 2024 · The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business and Trade (Justin Madders)
It is a pleasure to see you in the Chair, Mr Mundell. As the shadow Secretary of State, the hon. Member for Arundel and South Downs (Andrew Griffith), said, this has been a good debate and a wide range of suggestions have been made. We had speeches from 20 Back-Benchers: my hon. Friend the Member for Newport East (Jessica Morden), the hon. Member for Hazel Grove (Lisa Smart), my hon. Friend the Member for Luton North (Sarah Owen), the hon. Member for Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk (John Lamont), my hon. Friend the Member for Brentford and Isleworth (Ruth Cadbury), the hon. Member for…
- Sale of Fireworks
Commons · Westminster Hall · 19 January 2026 · The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business and Trade (Kate Dearden)
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Ms Jardine. I thank the hon. Member for Keighley and Ilkley (Robbie Moore) for leading today’s important debate, which is based on two petitions, one calling for a reduction in the noise limit for consumer fireworks from 120 dB to 90 dB and another for limiting the sales of fireworks to local authority-approved displays. I have only just over 10 minutes to respond, so I might not be able to take as many interventions as the hon. Gentleman did. I thank the shadow Minister, the hon. Member for West Worcestershire (Dame Harriett Baldwin), for…
How Parliament handled it
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Check the source
- This instrument on legislation.gov.uk The authoritative text, including amendments made since
- Other instruments from 2015