Alex Agius Saliba Defends Production Of Fireworks In The Face Of EU Pressure

A debate surrounding Malta’s fireworks industry has erupted online after emails sent to Members of the European Parliament called for urgent EU intervention, and even a potential ban on fireworks manufacturing in Malta following recent factory explosions.

The email, sent by Marta Wojciechowska to several MEPs, described fireworks manufacturing facilities in Malta as posing “a persistent and unacceptable risk to human life, public safety, property, and the environment.” The message urged the European Parliament to examine the industry’s safety risks and even consider requiring Malta to prohibit fireworks manufacturing and large-scale storage facilities if safety cannot be guaranteed.

The sender also argued that repeated explosions over the years show that “regulatory oversight alone is insufficient to eliminate the risk,” while raising concerns about environmental damage, pollution, and animal welfare.

However, Maltese MEP Alex Agius Saliba firmly pushed back against the proposal in his reply, defending pyrotechnics as “an integral part of Malta’s cultural heritage.”

“The production of fireworks is strictly regulated by Maltese law and we thank God that accidents of this sort are a rarity and not the norm,” Agius Saliba wrote.

The Labour MEP also stressed that fireworks production, storage, and use do not fall under EU competence, insisting that “no EU action is needed.”

The exchange comes amid renewed discussions around fireworks safety in Malta following recent incidents at local pyrotechnic facilities, once again placing the country’s deeply rooted festa tradition at the centre of public debate.

#MaltaDaily