More and more municipalities in Brabant are in favor of a national fireworks ban. Carola Schouten, the mayor of Rotterdam, advocates a general ban on fireworks because a local ban cannot be enforced. Breda and Eindhoven, among others, fully agree with this. There are also increasing calls in Belgian border municipalities to ban the lighting of fireworks and even their sale.
A cutting ban was already in force in two Brabant municipalities this year. In Tilburg and Eindhoven it was completely forbidden to let off fireworks during New Year’s Eve, even after 6 o’clock in the evening. But according to the municipality of Eindhoven, a local cutting ban cannot be enforced without a national ban. This is necessary, because ‘even limited compliance has benefits’.
That is why Eindhoven indicates that it is in line with the Rotterdam mayor: “Like the other municipalities with a cross-cutting ban, we want to influence the national decision-making on a national ban,” says a spokesperson.
Breda also says it supports the lobby for a national fireworks ban. The municipality of Oss does not believe a ban is necessarily necessary: “If there are problems, it is mainly due to the use of heavy fireworks outside the permitted hours. That is already prohibited.” If a fireworks ban is introduced, Oss is willing to cooperate.
In 2020, Mayor Jack Mikkers of Den Bosch, together with the mayors of Eindhoven and Tilburg, argued for a national ban. He is now calling for agreements at European level. According to a spokesperson for the municipality, it is important that a fireworks ban can be enforced in practice. A ban that only applies in the Netherlands would not be sufficient.
Border municipalities
In addition to loud bangs, the municipalities close to the Belgian border experience even more nuisance. Namely from the many tourists who drive to our southern neighbors to return home with a well-stocked trunk full of illegally obtained fireworks. From December 9, several additional border controls took place to combat this illegal import. For example, two people from The Hague were arrested on December 12. The military police found 700 euros worth of fireworks in their trunk.
READ MORE: New border control kills people from The Hague who had just bought a mountain of fireworks
Martijn van Gruijthuijsen, economics representative of Brabant, was not happy with those extra checks. According to him, ‘we are going back to the eighties by closing the borders’ and that would not be good for the economy. But for many mayors of border municipalities, the limit is now full. The mayors of Roosendaal, Bergen op Zoom and Land van Cuijk take a clear position and support a national fireworks ban.
And they are not the only border municipalities that experience nuisance. In addition to the aforementioned municipalities, Baarle-Nassau, Alphen-Chaam, Gilze en Rijen and Maashorst are also done with the nuisance and support a complete ban.
Across the border, at the ‘culprit’, there is increasing support for a fireworks ban. The mayors of Belgian Limburg municipalities are sick of the nuisance. Municipalities such as Pelt, Lommel and Hamont-Achel also advocate a fireworks ban. Many Dutch people currently cross the border to get cheaper and louder fireworks, but Belgian municipalities want to restrict this sale.
Lighting fireworks is already prohibited in 24 of the 38 municipalities in Belgian Limburg, but their sale is still permitted. If the Belgian mayors have their way, it will no longer be possible to buy fireworks across the border in the future.