Podcast “Again something learned” on the ban on fireworks: Fireworks industry is about to end without a bang

Thursday, December 9th, 2021

Second New Year’s Eve without fireworks
Firecracker industry is about to end without a bang

From Kevin Schulte

For the second time in a row, firecrackers and rockets are not allowed to be sold in Germany for New Year’s Eve. In the fight against the fourth corona wave, politicians want to relieve hospitals with the measure. The industry contradicts – and faces bankruptcy.

Some love it, others hate it. New year’s fireworks polarized. For many, rockets and firecrackers are part of a successful New Year. Others point to vast amounts of rubbish, unnecessary fine dust pollution and the noise that causes panic, especially in animals. For years there has been a discussion about the sense and nonsense of New Year’s Eve gluttony. Now the Corona crisis is creating facts for the second year in a row: Politicians have again decided to ban the sale of New Year’s Eve fireworks for all of Germany. Mainly to relieve the hospitals of firecrackers injuries.

A reason that does not make sense to the Association of the Pyrotechnical Industry. “There is no verifiable data on this. Rather, there are pronouncements for example from the municipal hospital operator Vivantes in Berlinthat on New Year’s Eve it is not those injured by fireworks that populate the emergency rooms, but rather those who have drank too much alcohol “, says association boss Klaus Gotzen in the ntv podcast” Wieder Was Learned “.

In particular, when legal fireworks are handled, injuries are extremely rare, according to the Pyro Association. “There is also an answer from the Bavarian State Parliament to an inquiry about how many fireworks injuries were recorded in Bavaria on New Year’s Eve 2019/20. According to this, there were a total of 25 fireworks injuries in Bavaria and just one in the state capital Munich “says Gotzen.

3000 employees before unemployment

The Pyro Association fears the “final end for around 3000 employees” in the industry because of the second consecutive year that is not fireworks. The decision of the politicians is the “death knell for the entire fireworks industry in Germany”.

No other industry has such a small window of opportunity to make money for the entire year as the fireworks industry. It is only allowed to sell category F2 fireworks in Germany on the last three working days of the year, firecrackers and rockets can only be set off on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s. 90 percent of annual sales depend on a successful New Year’s Eve party.

After the sales ban a year ago, most companies with short-time work and loans had just barely survived, reports industry boss Gotzen. But many will not be able to make it through a second year. Especially since, according to his statements, some companies are still waiting to get financial aid for the first firecracker ban. “Our companies will now have to look carefully to see whether there can be any further at all. Financial aid has now been announced again, but if these only refer to the assumption of any transport or storage costs, they will not help.” A two-year, almost total loss of sales cannot simply be compensated, says Gotzen. “There would have to be other financial aid to keep the industry going.”

No sales, even more expenses

How dramatic the situation is is made clear by a Look at the sales figures of the past years. New Year’s Eve 2019, the last turn of the year before Corona, washed 122 million euros into the coffers of pyro companies, in the record years 2016 and 2017 it was even 137 million euros. Last year sales then slumped to 20 million. This year won’t end any better.

Many companies hoped that things would look up again. Instead, now nobody knows what to do with the missiles and firecrackers. “Some goods have already been delivered. What will happen to them now, how they can be fetched back, what will then happen with their storage, I cannot say at the moment,” says Gotzen, perplexed. The storage will “certainly still lead to problems because the storage capacities may no longer exist in the next year”.

Fireworks is a commission business. This means that the companies have to get the goods back from the dealers at their own expense. No turnover, but more expenses.

That means millions in losses for the traditional fireworks companies in Germany. For example for Weco, for years the market leader in Germany and Europe. The company closed the previous year with a loss in the double-digit million range, and the employees were on short-time work throughout the year. In response to the dramatic drop in sales, the company decided to close its plant in Freiberg, Saxony, at the end of this year. The new Knaller cancellation now threatens the entire group.

80 percent for receiving the fireworks

Does the industry still have a future? With the Corona crisis, the high level of fine dust pollution and the Greens in the new federal government, at first glance there is only one answer. But people seem to want a comeback. In a Forsa poll from the summer that on behalf of Röder Feuerwerk Handelsgesellschaft was carried out, 80 percent of those questioned were in favor of receiving private New Year’s Eve fireworks.

“You also have to see that events such as Cologne Lights, Rhine in Flames and other fireworks festivals have always been very well attended to date,” says Gotzen. Fireworks still “magically” attract the population and are a “source of joy” when used properly.

Firecracker ban not thought through to the end?

Was the ban on firecrackers the right decision? In any case, it does not seem to have been thought through to the end. Apart from Germany, only the Netherlands have so far issued a similar sales ban, says association boss Gotzen. On the other hand, he had heard nothing of the kind from other countries. Anyone who thinks they absolutely have to bang can theoretically stock up on fireworks in some neighboring countries without any problems. With the risk of illegal fireworks underneath.

Should fireworks fanatics increasingly supply dangerous firecrackers from abroad, politicians would presumably have shot themselves an own goal. “Of the Association of German detectives from Saxony has clearly positioned itself here and has spoken out against a sales ban. This is justified by the fact that it was established at the end of 2020 that illegal fireworks were being used increasingly there. And it is sometimes the case that in neighboring EU countries fireworks items are for sale for people over the age of 18 who need a permit in Germany. These are so-called category 3 articles, “explains the head of the pyro association.

It is illegal fireworks that are typically responsible for most of the fireworks injuries. The emergency rooms would still have to take care of them.