In the context of the effort to strengthen control and public safety, as well as to better regulate the arbitrary use of explosives, the Council of Ministers, during its meeting today, decided:
The appointment of Explosives Inspectors, with a clear division of responsibilities between the Director of the Mines and Quarries Service and the Chief of Police, in accordance with the Explosives Law.
Specifically:
The Director of the Mines and Quarries Service undertakes the licensing and inspections of warehouses and areas where explosives are used for blasting.
The Chief of Police will be responsible for inspections of ammunition, gunpowder and fireworks storage depots, as well as inspections of areas where fireworks are used to determine compliance with the terms of the relevant storage and use permits, as well as the suppression of the illegal import, transport, storage, sale and use of all types of explosives.
It also decided to approve an amendment to the Explosives Law, with the aim of modernizing the institutional framework, tightening penalties and preventing the illegal use of fireworks.
Specifically, the amendment includes:
The significant increase in fines from €5.000 to €50.000,
The extension of criminal liability, beyond the perpetrators, to event organizers and owners/managers of places where fireworks are illegally used.
This decision ensures the most effective implementation of the legislation and strengthens the prevention and suppression of phenomena of illegal use of explosives.
