1 hour Ago
Mayors Warn of Enforcement Trouble
Back in early July, the mayors of 26 Limburg municipalities sent an urgent letter to the Minister of Justice and Security and the state secretary of Infrastructure and Water Management. They said they expect serious problems when it comes to enforcing the ban. The same municipalities have also made clear they do not plan to hand out any fireworks exemptions for the New Year's celebrations.
Jaap Kuin, the mayor of Pekela, says he is realistic about what lies ahead. The police have promised strict border checks, and they plan to look more closely at smaller roads too. Even so, he believes people will keep looking for ways around the controls. Kuin has also been talking about the issue at local youth centers. His message to young people is that setting off banned fireworks carries real financial risks. If something gets damaged, insurers will work hard to find out who is to blame.
He compares the situation to dog owners who leave their pet's mess behind. You have to catch people in the act, and that is not easy in a wide, spread-out area. The number of officers has not suddenly gone up, he points out, and residents know the odds of being caught are low.
Groningen Voices the Same Concern
Roelien Kamminga, the mayor of Groningen, shares the worry. She also chairs the Governance and Safety committee of the Association of Netherlands Municipalities, known as the VNG. In her view, the risk is highest in border regions, where fireworks are easy to buy. She says the police have already promised more checks in the coming period, and they are working with foreign police forces near the borders to make that happen.
Kamminga also looked beyond this year. She expects the European Commission to present a proposal at the end of next year that would bring broader rules on making and selling fireworks across the EU. For now, though, she says the call for extra enforcement capacity has not been answered. Everyone will have to wait and see how the ban holds up over the New Year period. A lot, she adds, depends on how people behave.
Other Towns Share the Doubts
Tilburg expects plenty of fireworks to go off in the city anyway. The municipality points out that it sits in the border area, so for many residents, buying fireworks abroad takes very little effort.
Oost Gelre sounds just as doubtful, partly because of its location close to Germany, where fireworks can still be bought. The municipality says that, as with earlier bans, it will probably take time before people get used to the new rules.
